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euromaxx

Profile of the Finnish Developer of "Angry Birds" (#704)

Hat Designer Stephen Jones - British designer Stephen Jones regularly supplies the world's top haute couture houses. He designed Carla Bruni-Sarkozy's pillbox hat, and Princess Diana also bought his creations. Jones first made his name selling to British entertainers.

The Semper Opera Ball in Dresden - One of the highlights of Germany's social calendar is the Semper Opera Ball in Dresden. It was first held back in 1925 but stopped at the outbreak of the second world war in 1939. The Ball was revived in 2006 after the restoration of the city's famous opera house. Nowadays the event is so popular that as well as the ball inside the opera house, there's also a big crowd waltzing away outside.

Internet Granny Mamika - Parisian photographer Sasha Goldberger has unintentionally turned his grandmother into an internet superhero. When he noticed his grandma - Hungarian-born Frederike Goldberger -was feeling down he portrayed her as a superhero zooming around on a motorbike or lifting a car with one hand to cheer her up. Mamika, as she's come to be known, is 92 years old and now has quite a following.

New LED Technology - LED lighting is one of the hottest topics at this year's International Furniture Show in Cologne. It's seen as energy-saving and favored for it's ability to simulate daylight.

Angry Birds App - The smartphone game "Angry Birds" has become incredibly popular with 50 million downloads in just one year. In the game you shoot birds at pigs using slingshots while the pigs try to protect themselves. The Finnish company "Rovio" developed it. Rovio was one of the first companies to develop and release video games for mobile phones. [26 minutes]

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Series Description: DW-TV's euromaxx provides an insight into the cultural side of Europe and the people who live there with colorful stories that reflect the rich variety of cultural life in Europe. From architecture and design to pop culture and fashion, euromaxx explores the region's new trends as well as its old traditions. euromaxx is as multi-facetted as Europe itself: an entertaining kaleidoscope of people, places and lifestyle. Each half-hour is packed with features focused on the latest in music, movies, fashion, food and travel. euromaxx always has a fresh take on today's culture - it's what's happening today and this week. It's topical, relevant, and as fresh as this week's Sunday newspaper.

All Episodes

MUSIC: ROBBIE WILLIAMS - Hello and a very warm welcome from Berlin. And we begin with arguably the biggest pop star in Europe at the moment, Robbie Williams. In his home country, Britain he sold out five nights at the new Wembley Stadium in a matter of hours - and the concerts are not until next September. In fact 2006 could be his most successful year to date. He will embark on his biggest solo tour yet promoting his latest album "Intensive Care."
FOOD: Michelin Guide Star Chef Dieter Muller - Another man at the top of his trade is Dieter Muller, considered this country's greatest gourmet chef. His restaurant near Cologne has the Michelin guide's highest accolade of three stars, and his passion of combining the seemingly incompatible - how about cappuccino of curry with lemongrass - is legendary. Fortunately he also delights in passing his skills on to other culinary hopefuls.
TRAVEL: Christmas 6 months a year - The classic festive scene is that of a winter landscape with pine trees weighed down by snow. In Finnish Lapland, high up in the arctic circle, it looks like Christmas for almost half the year. And the scene is complete when Santa's classic yuletide transport - the reindeer comes into view, pulling a sleigh.
DESIGN: Danese Milano - Ever since the Danese Milano design company was founded nearly 50 years ago it has prided itself on simple, classic products that will stand the test of time. Nowadays, because of its reputation, top class designers from all over the world make their way to Milan knocking on Danese's door rather than the other way round. Many of the company's products have become design icons and can be found not just in the people's homes but even in museums all over the world.
POPULAR CULTURE: Miss Europe - Shermine Shahrivar is not just the current Miss Germany but also in March 2005 she became Miss Europe as well. This means the last year has been a whirl of appointments, travelling all over Europe from important media events to photoshoots in all the major capitals. We caught up with her at one such modelling assignment for the Swiss fashion magazine Galatea.
WINTER SPORT: ski jumping - We wind up the programme today with possibly the most spectacular of winter sports, ski jumping. It's a sport that's getting more and more popular, especially here in Europe, and the building of ski jumps is becoming an architectural art form. We've been to visit a few, beginning with one directly south of here near the border to the Czech Republic. [28 minutes]

DESIGN: Collage - Cut and paste, cut and paste, that's what all the graphic designers in London are doing at the moment as the collage is back. Nowadays collages can be made on computers, and bands like the Sugarbabes and Franz Ferdinand are using it to great effect. The advertising world has taken to the collage as well. We've been looking at some of the results of this new trend.
FOOD: School of Coffee Making - And as the hip designers are putting their collages together they're drinking very hip latte macchiatos or cappuccinos with vanilla. Actually it seems nearly everybody is here in Europe as coffee sales are booming - maybe because there's so many different ways to drink it now. This was always the case in Italy where coffeemaking is considered an art. Now one of the big manufacturers has started a university course there in Trieste.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Horst Wackerbarth - Horst Wackerbarth likes to get more out of his photographs than just a picture. He made a name for himself with his red sofa project which involved over two decades of schlepping a huge sofa around all corners of this continent and taking pictures of various celebrities and ordinary people perched on it. Now he's turned his attention to music, capturing orchestral musicians on film in extraordinary settings.
DANCE: Ballet Dancer Irina Kalyessnakava - Russian ballet dancer Irina KaLYESSnikava has the world at her feet. The 25 year old is currently thrilling audiences in London on tour with the St. Petersburg Ballet. And now she is hot favourite to win a National Dance Award there. Awarded by a circle of top British dance critics, these prizes are already considered among the most prestigious in the world of dance.
ART: A new look for Rembrandt -This year the Netherlands is celebrating the 400th anniversary of the birth of one its greatest painters Rembrandt. One rather unusual project is that of gallery owner Bert Jan van Egteren in Amsterdam. He originally made a name for himself with the Art Factory, a kind of art supermarket where you could by copies of old masters redone by young artists. Now helped by modern technology he's giving Rembrandt a new look.
STYLE: Micro living - Finally we're going to take a look at what must be one of the smallest houses imaginable. They're called "Micro Compact Homes" and were invented by architects at the Technical University in Munich, a city with some of the highest prices for accommodation here in Germany . So, ideal for those on a tight budget. [26 minutes]

ART: Photo Realist Painter Franz Gertsch - Franz Gertsch is one of Switzerland's leading contemporary artists, and any one of his works is worth a double take. Not only because of their size, but because of the Swiss painter's incredible mastery of photorealism. Gertsch is credited with having elevated pop culture to an artform long before most people in the establishment had given it the time of day. Now in honour of the artist's 75th birthday, the Franz Gertsch museum near Bern is holding a retrospective of his work
SPORT: Ice Sculpture - From advertising to art and even to winter fun in the snow - with the 2006 soccer World Cup looming this summer in Germany, soccer is of the essence in nearly every walk of public life. And so, in the Austrian ski resort of Ischgl, the annual Snow Sculpture Championship took that cue to give the contest a football theme. Artists from all over Europe shovelled, packed, hacked and chiseled to deck the slopes with remarkable highlights of soccer history - euromaxx was there.
DINING: Retro Candy - Boiled sweets by the pound and penny candy.... those of you who have fond memories of brown paper bags full of sugary treats will be pleased to know that along with all the other retro-trends we've seen in Britain in recent years, traditional candy is also making a come-back. And we found one shop in London that makes the sweet nostalgia trip complete.
DESIGN: Ski accessories - Ski season is in full swing here in Europe and as per usual, this sport isn't just about the latest high-tech equipment, it's about looking good even if you do end up in a snowbank. Where snowboarders led the way when it comes to cool outfitting, skiers are bent on following, and that means ski manufacturers are putting more and more emphasis on design. Many of the skis on offer this season are sporting snazzy motifs developed by top designers...so we had a look at some of the most interesting creations.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Digital Lifestyle - Digital cameras have ushered in a whole new shutter-snapping culture and not only does everyone and their dog now own one, but because they can simply delete any picture that's flopped or not to their liking, they take pictures ALL the time. And because it's no longer so costly people are discovering their inner artiste in rather unorthodox ways - like the new generation of camera-tossers...here's more. [26 minutes]

CULTURE: Dancing to the World Cup - Despite the ice and snow and frosty temperatures that are par for the course right now - Germany is warming up to the prospect of a summer characterised by football, football and more football! The 2006 World Cup is only five months away, and in the run-up to the main event organisers have planned a cultural extravaganza to get people excited about the sport on every level of consciousness. You don't need to know football to enjoy these events either: for instance, a dance performance by brazilian choreographer Deborah Colker where football takes centre stage -which premiered in Hamburg this past week.
POPULAR CULTURE: Saturday Night Fever Redux - And good news for all you eighties children: those of you who used to get down in front of the mirror to the soundtrack of Saturday Night Fever may already have noticed that disco has made a convincing comeback in clubs across the continent. From London to Berlin to Paris, disco beats recycled with 21st century technology are all the rage on the dance floor, and we met up with a pair of Norwegian DJs who put their own spin on one-time disco hits.
ADVENTURE: Freeriding Snowboarding - And next up we meet the cliffhanger personified: Alex Coudray. He's one of the world's top professional freeride snowboarders, and his usual habitat is the snowy peaks, cliffs and sheer drops in the mountains of his native Switzerland. He says the word freeride doesn't just refer to a sporting discipline, but also to a way of life: quality before quantity and living by listening to your heart. That's surely the only way to do what he does.
HOME: Hand Painted Wallpaper - Wallpaper as such hasn't had much of a reputation in recent years, but thanks to one atelier here in Berlin it's rapidly gaining in status. The Manufaktur fur Wandunikate creates exclusive hand-painted wallpapers, many of which are based on historical designs. And a visit to their studio will change your opinion of weary old wallpaper for good.
FASHION: Hairstylist Odile Gilbert - Haute Couture was the order of the day earlier in the week in Paris, as the creme de la creme of the designer guild showed off their latest creations: typically elaborate to even unwearable, haute couture outfits are highly detailed one-of-a-kind pieces where everything has to sit perfectly. And for a truly new look, hairstyle is no small part of the equation. That's where Odile Gilbert comes in.
ART: A Passion for Autos - "Ode to a BMW" could be the subtitle of a charming new exhibition in the German city of Kassel. The Auto-Nom-Mobile exhibition looks at cars from a number of different perspectives, as toy, muse, or even canvas. Cars are different things for different people, and from deconstruction to avant garde sculpture this display is at the very least, thought-provoking. [26 minutes]

ITALY: Snapping up Venice - Venice most probably has more tourists per square meter than any other city in the world. It's such a historic and romantic place to visit and, of course quite unique. Recently a German publisher commissioned five top photographers to present their take on this lagoon city on the north east coast of Italy. We followed the German photographer Robert Voit around, who prefers to steer well clear of the crowds.
AUSTRIA: A modern designer - At the beginning of the 20th century the "Wiener Werkstatte" the Vienna Workshops, transformed the world of interior design in Austria. It was an idealistic movement which sought to create beautifully designed and crafted objects for every day living. This idea - revolutionary at the time - is being revived in a modern form in the showrooms of Karl Hans Polzhofer.
GERMANY: Who Dunit in Munich? - This year the theme of the Munich crime fiction festival is football. With the world cup soon to arrive on their doorstep, a number of German crime writers have ben inspired to write about the game And with this in mind the festival also staged a fictional whodunnit in Munich's Olympic stadium. Hold on to your seats!
DENMARK: Fashion Platform on the Platform - Moving now to the new metro system in Copenhagen for an unusual train ride. In recent years Denmark has been making a name for itself on the international fashion scene with its unconventional yet wearable styles. To stress how different Danish fashion is, the latest catwalk shows there were held on the trains themselves, the platforms and even on the moving escalators under the city centre.
FRANCE: Gone to the Wolves - French born pianist Helene Grimaud is very passionate about everything she does. When she sets her mind on something - whatever it may be - it becomes an obsession. This is obviously very useful if you want to become a top pianist as there's all that gruelling practice every day. But she also combines her music with a most unusual hobby : wolves. Right now she's concentrating hard on her music as she's just started her latest world tour.
POLAND: A Thriving Arts Scene in the Studios - Finally today we're going to the Praga district of Warsaw. It's a former industrial area which used to be nicknamed the Bronx of the Polish capital because it was a rather unsafe and rundown area. Some years ago artists started moving in, finding the deserted large old factory spaces perfect as studios. Now it's the centre of Poland's thriving avantgarde scene. [26 minutes]

PHOTOGRAPHY: Photographing David Bowie - Mick Jagger, Freddie Mercury, the Sex Pistols and many more were all photographed by Mick Rock back in the 1970s. In fact he was a part of the wallpaper of the rock and roll scene then, traveling around with the stars and documenting the times. There was one pop star who he was particularly close to, as he was with him from the very start : David Bowie. MUSIC: France's Camille - Staying in the music business, the quirky singer Camille has become a star in her native France very quickly. Normally such experimental musicians take years to build up a following but she's already hit the CD charts a number of times. Nothing is too avantgarde for her, she loves to explore her voice and on her album "Le Fil", or The Thread, there was a tone that persisted throughout the whole record woven into every song. Her debut album did well and Le Fil did better still, going platinum.
LIFESTYLE: Yachts from the Inside - Now I'm not much of a seafaring man but if I had to take to the high seas the best way to do it would be in comfort. Birgit Schnaase designs the interiors of fantastic luxury yachts and is one of the few women to have made her mark in this male dominated profession. She showed us round her latest interior design of a top of the range yacht and the particular feminine touches that she and her team bring below decks.
TRAVEL: South Pole Trek - The extreme sportsman Wolfgang Melchior with four-like minded colleagues is just back from the fastest ever trek to the south Pole. Approximately 900 kilometers in 33 days. The Guinness book of records has recognised them for this incredible feat of endurance as they used no motorised transport, no huskies, just one foot in front of the other. We caught up with him in the more hospitable surroundings of his home city of Vienna.
ARCHITECTURE: Connected Couple - You could see this next report as a true partnership in all senses of the word. Matthias Sauerbruch and Louisa Hutton are married and unlike the rest of us who don't spend twenty-four seven with their nearest and dearest, they are together all the time as they work as partners too . In fact they have a very successful architect's office and are known throughout Europe for their trademark colourful facades. They like the buildings they design to respond to the natural environment around them and are big advocates of green architecture.
DESIGN: Furniture from Milan - The Milan furniture fair, Salone di Mobile, has been on since Wednesday and we spent a day with the architect and designer Antonio Citterio. In his long and successful career he's designed everything from chairs, to bar lounge interiors, to luxury hotels where he's been the architect of the building and done the complete interior design as well. [26 minutes]

MUSIC: DOMINO RECORDS - we start off with a story that proves the merits of starting small. London-based Domino Records was founded back in 1993, and after years of good judgement, gut feeling and good taste, they've hit the big time with bands like Franz Ferdinand and the Arctic Monkeys. Apparently the secret lies in the very personal relationship the label has with its musicians - and the precious freedom it affords them. euromaxx met up with possibly the nicest boss in the business!
FOOD: CATALONIAN STAR CHEF - Ferran Adri# is a man of many talents: the Catalonian star chef is not just cook and artist, but also very much a scientist in his approach to taste and texture combinations. He's best known for his famous restaurant "El Bulli" on the Costa Brava - where gourmets fly in from all over the world, some of them just for the day, to sample his culinary magic. The restaurant is however, closed over the winter months, during which Ferran Adri# cooks up a storm in his laboratory...conjuring ever more beguiling taste sensations.
FASHION: Euro-Cowboys - Not least because of the overwhelming success of director Ang Lee's Oscar-winning film "Brokeback Mountain", country and western fashion is back with a vengeance. Everywhere you look people are walking the walk, sporting cowboy boots, Stetsons hats, leather with a fringe and even spurs - euromaxx rounds up on the cowboy trend.
TRAVEL: Art in the Alps - And now its on to a lofty project in the Austrian Alps - and those of you who've ever suffered from writer's or painter's block will appreciate this. The name of the game is to go to great heights for inspiration - we stopped in at Europe's highest atelier, where artists have two weeks to commune with nature at its purest.
DESIGN: Unmistakably Alessi - Good design is forever - that's a quote from Alberto Alessi, head of Italy's famous Alessi design company. And indeed one can imagine some of his products, ranging from serving trays to coffee makers to bottle openers - having an immeasurable lifespan and a high archeological value. You can find Alessi's wares wherever they sell fine table and kitchenware, and they're always recognisable by their inherent emphasis on functionality, fantasy and fun.
STYLE: The self-made fashion-maker - Jean-Paul Goude is the kind of guy who tailors life to fit his taste: when he found himself too short, he made himself taller - his shoulders were too narrow, so he made them wider. And he did the same for several of his girlfriends. Goude is not only an artist but a provocative image maker with a penchant for deconstruction as creation. He's best known for having made pop star Grace Jones into a veritable icon of the 1980s, and for his ad campaigns for Chanel. Now he's has published an autobiography as a glosssy coffee table book: it's title "So far, so Goude" displays as much style and humour as his work. [26 minutes]

MUSIC: Clapton's Guitar - Whether it's a childhood toy, a pair of spectacles, or the guitar played by Eric Clapton in the 70s, celebrity memorabilia is currently all the rage at auction houses in Britain. And because fans are so hungry for past possessions of their idols, some have even started to specialise in rock and pop collectibles. We checked out the biannual Music Legends auction in London.
Design: Test Run - It's not every day that two people put their lives on display for the general public to observe - especially not in a town like Herford in Northrhine-Westfalia. V + W, alias Vogt + Weizenegger are a couple of Berlin designers who are currently the main attraction at the local MARTa Museum for Art and Design. For six weeks they are living and working with a multitude of self-designed prototypes - the idea is to show visitors the process of design and to test the products - here's more.
Travel: Poland's underwater caves - And now we head to quite a different world, one of underwater lakes, caves, and galleries, deep down in the ground in the Wieliczka Salt mines. One of Poland's best-known tourist attractions, the mines just south of Cracow have been operated continuously since their construction in the Middle Ages - today they also house the world's biggest mining museum and many special cultural events - euromaxx went below for a look around.
Fashion: Vatican Style - It's just over one year ago that Germany's Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected Pope on April 19th, 2005 -since then as Pope Benedict XVI he has stood for a return to conservative values and tradition. This is something that also has its expression in his style of dress - euromaxx looked behind the scenes at the quiet but complicated business of papal fashions.
Travel: Dresden's Green Vault - And now for a look inside one of Germany's most precious treasure chambers: Dresden's famous Green Vault. The legacy of August the Strong - ruler of Saxony in the 18th century - three of its eight rooms were destroyed during World War II bombing - so for the past four years the vault has been painstakingly restored. Just this month it reopened to the public and the fact that its baroque charm is so very authentic is thanks to Steffen Noack.
Cinema: Spanish director Pedro Almodovar - And now on to Paris where a special exhibition devoted to Spanish director Pedro Almodovar is drawing crowds at the Cinemateque. The man who authored films such as "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown," "High Heels" and "Matador" is the undisputed star of his country's intense film scene - and visitors will gain quite an insight into what drives him. [26 minutes]

FASHION: Clothing for the Optimist - For over a quarter of a century the Spanish designer Agatha Ruith de la Prada has been brightening up people's wardrobes with her colourful fashions. She decorates her designs with hearts, flowers or dots on everything from dresses to socks and the colour black is never to be seen. Her clothes are creative, humourous and full of optimism, and she's got a personality to match.
OUTDOORS: London's Guerrilla Gardeners - To London now for a bit of illicit gardening under cover of darkness. The Guerrilla Gardeners there are sowing seeds of resistance all over the British capital, and are out to brighten up those rough patches of grass surrounded by asphalt. No roundabout or verge is safe from their green fingers!
FILM: Animation in the East - Animation films are booming as never before, with movies like Shrek, Robots, or Ice Age turning into blockbusters. In Europe, there is a great tradition of animated film making in the small Baltic state of Estonia. We went to the capital Tallin to meet up with Riho Unt a well known animator who took us through the painstaking process behind his latest masterpiece.
ART: Czech Glass - The Czech Republic is famous for its glass making industry and when Anna Torfs from Belgium went to live there 15 years ago it was love at first sight. She was actually a dancer at the time but soon began experimenting with glass art. Now her worked is highly rated there as well as by collectors around the globe.
MUSIC: Mozart Kitsch - There are literally thousands of events taking place here in Europe in 2006 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Mozart. He was born in Vienna and nearly all his works will be performed there in one shape or form this year. Here's a Mozart event with a difference which has proved very popular in the Austrian capital. There's Mozart karaoke, dancing flags, and melting chocolate and much more.
MUSIC: Return of Swing - Swing is my favourite style of music - in my spare time I play in a big band myself - and here in Germany swing has had a turbulent history. It was very popular in the 1930s, then it was banned by the Nazis. After the war it became very popular once again and there's always been a healthy appetite for big bands here ever since. More recently it's been popularised by the likes of Robbie Williams and a new, younger audience are dancing away to the rhythm of swing. [26 minutes]

MUSIC: SWEDEN'S SOPHIE ZELMANI - She's the latest pop sensation to come out of Sweden but, Sophie Zelmani has a much softer presence than an Abba or Ace of Bace. Quiet and introspective, she's been beguiling listeners at home for a decade now with minimalist country-pop style. Prior to the release of album number six we managed to catch the publicity shy star on tour in Germany.
ART: MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING BERLIN - He's the guy who brought us Monty Python's Flying Circus - so we know he has a penchant for the eccentric and off- beat; but after years in the film business, British director Terry Gilliam has decided to try his hand at something new. Anyone who comes to Berlin can even be a part of it, as his project "Past People of Potsdamer Platz" integrates Berlin passersby into an original art installation that's on display until June 8th.
ARCHITECTURE: THE DUTCH WAY - And from large scale installation art it's only a small jump to architecture: Dutch architecture in fact, which is world famous for its cool functionality and clever use of space. Names like Rem Koolhaas or Ben van Berkel, are among those who set the standard - and coming along behind the veterans are younger names like Rob Wagemans - creator of some of Amsterdam's hippest and hottest spots.
SCULPTURE: EDUARDO CHILLIDA - One of the biggest names in Basque culture is that of sculptor Eduardo Chillid#, who is also one of the most important European sculptors of the last century. Born in San Sebastian in 1924, Chillida's career took off in the mid-50s in Paris and Madrid - whatever the material he used, Chillida explored deeply the nature of dimension on all levels - and he continues to be a great inspiration to other artists.
FILM: BOLLYWOOD IN EUROPE - Millions of movie-goers love Bollywood films - that's Bombay, India's version of Hollywood, only flashier and much more fun. But the exotic appeal of the Bollywood style has gone far beyond the cinema to become a form of entertainment unto itself. All over Europe in places like London and Paris, Indian style parties are all the rage. Meanwhile the sensual sounds, colours and mango lassis have also caught on here in Germany, where Bollywood beats are spicing up the night life.
FOOD: CATERING TO THE RICH AND FAMOUS - And finally, their name alone has star quality, but the Boxy Brothers also know how to deliver a top notch product. The Belgian twin brothers run the nation's most exclusive catering company - and from royalty to rock stars to they are the best address for fine food to feed large numbers. And not only does it taste good, it's stylishly presented and that's because these guys can't do anything without style. [26 minutes]

Painting: An Actors Canvas - Armin Muller Stahl is one of few German actors who has also had a successful career in Hollywood. And he is a man of many other talents too. He's an accomplished violinist, he writes books, and now he's also rapidly gaining a reputation as a serious painter. The latest exhibition of his work is called "Venice - an American Diary". It got rave reviews when it premiered in Los Angeles, then it went on to Rome and now it's just opened in Dresden.
Design: The perfect sphere for the CUP - The footballs that will be used for the world cup matches here in Germany this summer have been specially designed by the sports equipment firm Adidas. In charge of the team of experts who have worked for years to produce the perfect sphere for the beautiful game was a woman, Barbara Heinrich.
Culture: Blossoming in the East - The fall of communism here in Europe has brought about a lot of change in many of the countries that were behind the so called Iron Curtain. There has been an opening up to other cultures and a blossoming of the country's own culture that had mostly been suppressed. In the Romanian capital Bucharest a growing contemporary art scene is currently emerging. Artists tend to meet up in private homes, not because of any fear of the authorities but because of the lack of public places.
Art: Lighting up Art - To another art scene now in London where Paul Cocksedge has emerged as one of Britain's most innovative and prolific designers since graduating from the Royal College of Art there four years ago. He specialises in using light in all sorts of weird and wonderful ways and is particularly fond of inventing things that make you think twice. Take a look and see if you can figure out how he does it.
Music: Klaus Doldinger at 70 - The famous German jazz musician Klaus Doldinger has just celebrated his 70th birthday. He's been playing the saxophone and composing music for over half a century and has been touring for just as long. Even Doldinger himself is not sure how many albums he's made but he's always looking forward and says the new one's the best yet.
Public Art: Knitting the Reichstag - The artist Christo is famous for wrapping buildings. Annette Streyl is making a name for herself by knitting buildings. Christo wrapped the Reichstag - the German parliament building - Annette Streyl has knitted it. And for the first time her knitting collection has been brought together and is now on display in an exhibition in Hamburg. [26 minutes]

FASHION: Jean Pool - And we kick off with a trip to Scandinavia for a look at one of the latest trends in the fashion world. Whether they're slim leg or boot cut or even used look, blue jeans are a veritable fashion staple - and one of the latest hot brands comes from Sweden. While the name ACNE may not sound too appetising, it's actually an acronym for "Ambition to Create Novel Expressions" -which sounds a little more like it. euromaxx checked out the guys at the top of the jean pool.
SPORT: Base Jumpers - And next up we thought we'd give your adrenaline levels a boost with yet another acronym: this time it's BASE jumping, B-A-S-E standing for building, antenna, span, and earth. Base-jumpers specialises in parachuting off of such fixed objects -often doing it illegally. As you can imagine it's a small community and we met up with one of the best of them - Felix Baumgartner who hails from Austria.
ARCHITECTURE: RCR Classics - And now we're back on the ground: RCR Architects are based in the small Pyrenean town of Olot - but that hasn't stopped them from building up an impressive international reputation. Recently included in an exhibition on new Spanish Architecture at the Moma in New York, their distinguishing features are clear, geometric forms and modern materials which make use of the surrounding landscape in interesting ways - we went to see their work for ourselves.
MUSIC: Elizabethan Opera - Opera fans in the western German city of Dusseldorf are in for a change over the coming season. The local Rhine Opera House has temporarily relocated as its own building undergoes renovation work, and its new home is attracting lots of attention. That's because the building specifications follow those typical of an Elizabethan theatre back in Shakespeare's day - an interesting challenge, and we went to see how everyone's adapting!
FASHION: Who Let the Dog Out - The old cliche of how a dog's owner becomes more and more like his or her pet has never been more true, and that's because many people help the dogs to be more like they are! In our wonderfully spoiled Western European society, where fashion can be applied even to mobile telephones, it's only logical that the VERY fashion conscious want their canine pets to follow suite. And whether or not it's actually a case of the tail wagging the dog -fashionable accessories for dogs are a booming business in London!
ART: New art in Venice - And finally, if you've never been to Venice, that romantic city of carnivals and canals, then there's even more reason to do so now, and that is a brand new contemporary art collection, courtesy of one Monsieur Francois Pinault. A self-made businessman who never even finished high school, Pinault is now ranked 74th on Forbe's list of the World's Richest People. And as the owner of Christie's auction house, he's also a passionate art collector and a man who likes to make things happen - his way. [26 minutes]

Travel: Life with the top down - Here in northern Europe, despite our reputation for rainy weather, the market in open top cars is booming. At the first sign of clear skies fans of the convertible dust down their prized possession and take to the open roads. And this year there are more new soft top models being brought onto the market than ever before. We met up - on a sunny day - with some soft top enthusiasts.
Lifestyle: under one roof - We live in a fast moving age and there never seems to be any time to spare. So the idea of combining two shops in one so you can buy your groceries and and perhaps have your shoes repaired at the same time appeals to the consumer. Convenience is the name of the game. It all started in London and now it's spread here to Berlin.
Music: Cellist Jan Vogler - The German cellist Jan Vogler has become one of the most celebrated soloists of his generation. He also loves to perform chamber music especially with his violinist wife Myra Wang, although their busy schedules makes this a rare treat. Like many international stars he has homes on both sides of the Atlantic. One in New York and the other here in Germany out in the countryside near Dresden which is where we paid him a visit. Art: Open Air Sculptures - Three years ago a Swiss doctor and his wife organised an open air exhibition of sculptures in their home town of Ragatz. It's since become an annual event and has overflowed into the town of Vaduz in neighbouring Liechtenstein. Now renowned sculptors are queueing up to exhibit their works in this beautiful alpine setting.
Fashion: Noir - The Danish label "Noir" is fashion with a conscience. Launched just over a year ago it has managed to show that haute couture and fair trade ideals can exist together. It's the first label to import its cotton directly from a mill in Uganda. The owner Peter Inversen has proved it's possible in the fashion industry to be both stylish and eco-friendly.
Architecture: Turning Torso - Last year we reported on the opening of the Turning Torso, an extraordinary skyscraper in the Swedish city of Malmo that looks as though it's been twisted in the wind. Well despite initial criticism from the media it's proved to be very popular locally and has now received a prize in an International skyscraper competition. So architecturally it's got the thumbs up but what do the residents think about living inside this unique edifice. [26 minutes]

Fashion: athletic designs - It's just days to go until kick off at the soccer World Cup - and while people wager over which team will come out on top, one team has figured there's no harm in having a winning image right from the start. And so it is that the French team - a good-looking lot to begin with - are arriving fully outfitted in an exclusively tailored designer collection - with full intent to turn heads both on and off the field.
Interior Design: Europe's Living Rooms - Any interior decorator will tell you that a living room tells volumes about the people who inhabit it - and that's what Annette Merrild set out to explore with her very original Room Project. The Danish-German artist travelled around European cities photographing people's living rooms. The results are now on display for the first time in Hamburg - and they show that Europeans might be more of a community than we think.
Sport: Free Diving - If he could, Guillaume Nery of France would probably set up HIS living room on the bottom of the ocean floor -that's because he's a free diver and someone who is literally addicted to the deep. Some of you may remember French director Luc Besson's impressive treatment of this sport in his film "The Big Blue" - free divers descend to frightening depths without the aid of an oxygen tank, using only a massive flipper for propulsion. And at the recent French Open in Nice - we met up with the local hero.
Art: Sculptor Christiane Lohr - German artist Christiane Lohr much prefers it firm dry land because that's where she finds the inspiration and the materials for her unusual sculpture art. Natural and ephemeral forms from the plant world take on their own energy under her patient hands - we caught up with her in Forte di Gavi, Italy where she was busy piecing together her next exhibition.
Travel: Madrid Boosters - Anyone who's been to Spain knows that Barcelona is hip, it's young and it's creative. The Catalan metropolis not only has a wealth of architecture and a thriving arts scene to attract the masses - but these days it's not insignificant that they have the best football team in Europe, which does wonders for the city's image. But hold on one minute, said the capital Madrid to the south: our city is cool too and has lots to offer, and we want everyone to know about it! So here's what they did!
Music: Django's Offspring - And finally, we'll finish on a musical note with one of Germany's newest Jazz talents: she's not yet that well known, but Dotschy Reinhardt comes from a long line of musicians - in fact she's a descendent of Django Reinhardt, a pioneer of Sinti jazz who revolutionised jazz guitar in Europe the 1930s and 40s. Born in Ravensburg in southern Germany, she now lives in Berlin and is currently recording her first album - after which we're pretty sure the name Dotschy Reinhardt will stand on its own. [26 minutes]

Film: Animation Festival - Hello and welcome to the show from here in football mad Germany. But not all eyes are glued to the football world cup at the moment. In fact in Annecy in eastern France it's the silver screen that people have been watching . Every year in June this small town plays host to an international festival of animated films. 213 movies were shown there from small budget shorts to million dollar Hollywood movies.
Tourism: Claudia's Campaign - As hosts of the football world cup Germany is naturally keen to promote the country as an investment location. And perhaps the most eye catching way to do this is to drape the nation's most famous supermodel in nothing but a German flag. Claudia Schiffer presented this new campaign to the media and invited guests in London last week.
Design: Marcel Wanders on Display - The Dutch designer Marcel Wanders is particularly good at coming up with unusual designs for everyday objects. He's been so successful with his concepts that some of his works are now on display in various museums of modern art around the globe. He's also a leading light in European contemporary design. We met up with him in Amsterdam.
Book: Stones on the Coffee Table - Now this huge tome, which weighs a ton, is a real photographic insight into the early history of arguably the world's greatest rock and roll band, the Rollingstones. The British photographer Gered Mankowitsch was fortunate enough to be around the band at the start of their careers and in fact was hugely influential in shaping their image.
Architecture: Deconstructing the Allianz - If you're a Stones fan that's great to have but your bookshelf needs to be sturdy, to say the least. The Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron have designed many famous buildings including the Tate Modern in London, and one of the world's best football stadiums in Munich, the Allianz Arena, named after its sponsor. However this must be the first time that Herzog and de Meuron have had a part of their work dismantled. Allianz is not an official sponsor of the world cup. [26 minutes]

Music: Dresden Opera Competition - And we start off with the "Competizione dell' Opera" - a conquest of nerves - but an utterly rewarding one if you hope to get your foot in the door as an opera singer. The international competition has become one of the most prominent forums for talented young singers, and this year the tenth edition took place in the German city of Dresden. The city's Semper Opera is the perfect setting for a contest of such renown - and our reporter was backstage to see how the divas-in-waiting do it.
Design: British Design Visionaries - Contrary to what their name implies, Established & Sons have only been around for two years. But already this year the British Design firm is reaping accolades for its visionary approach to fostering UK design. Their latest was the Design of the Future Prize at the Design Miami/Basel in Switzerland -so we checked out this cutting edge firm and its philosophy.
Sport: Robocup 2006 - While 32 nations tough it out in the first round of the soccer World Cup this week saw a championship of a different kind happening in the northern city of Bremen: the Robocup 2006 looks like a science fiction version of the beautiful game -it's all part of an international project to promote Artificial Intelligence and robotics - and euromaxx was there.
Music: Gianna Nannini - And now to a woman who's famous for making herself heard: Gianna Nannini is one of Italy's most successful rock musicians - she sings in Italian, and she loves to get her point across - with aggression if necessary. Just prior to her 50th birthday she's released a brand new album that many critics see as her finest work to date, proof that, like a good wine, she just keeps getting better.
Film: Regina Ziegler - And now to a woman who's famous for making herself heard: Gianna Nannini is one of Italy's most successful rock musicians - she sings in Italian, and she loves to get her point across - with aggression if necessary. Just prior to her 50th birthday she's released a brand new album that many critics see as her finest work to date, proof that, like a good wine, she just keeps getting better.
Sport: Woman in the Sky - And finally, we finish off with yet another feisty number - and this woman is one who has an incredibly high adrenaline tolerance: Peggy Krainz is a down-to-earth mother of one who spends most of her time high up in the air: that's because she's Europe's only female wing-walker - and one who could give even seasoned daredevils like Agent 007 a pointer or two. [26 minutes]

FILM: Homage to Paris - And a warm welcome from football mad Germany. But we begin in the city of romance and love; Paris. "Paris je t'aime" or Paris I love you is a unique film about the French capital put together by produce Claudie Ossard. It's actually 20 short films - each about 5 minutes long - and the project attracted some of the world's leading directors and actors who all jumped at the chance to show their affection for Paris.
Travel: Typically German - That looks like a great movie With all the hundreds of thousands of footbal fans here in Germany many of them want to take something back home as a reminder of their stay . Two entrepreneurs here in Berlin have opened up a "Good old Germany " souvenir shop. Not full of the usual things like beer mugs or lederhosen, but more classy, sophisticated products for the discerning buyer.
Music: House of Mozart - As this year is the 250th anniversary of the birth of Mozart, his works can be heard practically every day in one concert hall or another here in Europe. The newly built House for Mozart in Salzburg has just opened and already is garnering the reputation as the best place acoustically to hear the great maestro's works.
Travel: Green Green Grass of Home - Now we come to a subject close to my heart. I've lived here in Germany for over fifteen years so there's very little that I miss about my home country, Britain. However when I go home every year one of the first things I notice is the colour of the grass. It really is so much greener than anywhere else. And the British love their lawns, spending over 150 million euros a year looking after their hallowed green turf.
Music: Twin Talents - Unlike many singers the German tenor Klaus Florian Vogt is an accomplished instrumentalist as well. In fact he actually started his professional career in the Hamburg Philharmonic as a French horn player. But he yearned for more and began to take singing lessons in his free time. Now the musicality he learned as an orchestral player has paid dividends with his singing technique.
Travel: Art on the Beach - And finally we're off to a rather unique festival that takes place on an equally special island. The Friesian islands are off the northern coasts of the Netherlands and Germany and we're going to the Dutch island of Terskelling It's here that the "Urol" festival takes place all over the island. "Urol" means everywhere in the local dialect so it all makes sense. It's the festival's 25th anniversary and we start with a band made up of 25 trombones. [26 minutes]

Music: Diva goes Disco - Hi there and welcome to our highlights edition from the German capital which as you can imagine is an exciting to be at the moment. "Thank you for the music" - it was more than 25 years ago that Swedish pop quartett ABBA sang those words, and yet they speak volumes for Sweden's contribution to global culture. Music is indeed one of Sweden's greatest exports... mezzosoprano Anne Sophie von Otter is proof of that on the classical side, and when you put two of the country's biggest music forces together, well, the winner takes it all.
Art: Eastern Retro - Vicente Blanco is a big fan of Berlin architecture, but not the classic sites like the Brandenburg Gate or the new Potsdamer Platz. Instead the Spanish artist is fascinated by the old East German buildings - with their sober communist and even Stalinistic aesthetic. He uses these structures to make his own mixed media collage art - and in so doing helps preserve a bit of history -especially the bits that are slated for the demolition ball.
Art: Light Design - For as long as he can remember French light designer Matteo Messervy has had a thing for light . He says his passion is to tell stories with light and that's why he's made a job of creating open air sculptures, installations for museums, doing the light design for hotels, and even using light for therapy in hospitals. His imagination knows no bounds, and we beamed ourselves into his spacious Parisian apartment to learn more about his work.
Sport: Power Boating - Despite this country's current obsession with football there are other sports going on, as people in the northern port of Travemunde can confirm. The German powerboat grand prix, which is the boating equivalent of formula one racing, hit town in the latest round of the world championships. Machines with 2000 horsepower and more were carving up the water and there were various sideshows on land as well.
Fashion: Prada Couple - The Italian fashion house Prada was actually a luxury leather goods business until Miuccia Prada took over the reins from her grandfather and presented the first Prada pret-a-porter collection back in 1989. These days, she's the creative force behind the luxury label while her husband Patricio Bertelli looks after the business end of things - and it's an arrangement that seems to work well for both of them. [26 minutes]

Theatre: Total Shakespeare - He's widely acknowledged as the greatest writer of the English language, and he's certainly the most quoted: William Shakespeare, the man who brought us Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and Macbeth. Also known as the Bard, Shakespeare wrote some 38 plays, 154 sonnets and a number of long poems - and in his hometown Stratford-upon-Avon they're currently celebrating by performing every single one - here's more.
Art: Sculptures on the Beach - Remember that feeling of accomplishement after completing a sandcastle on the beach as a child - well artists from all over the world are currently basking in the glow of their jobs well done at the Sand World Sculpture Festival in Travemunde on Germany's Baltic coast. It's the biggest event of its kind in all of Europe and visitors can admire this amazing display of artistic talent until September third.
Music: Ageless Stones - True to the lyrics of their classic 1965 tune, the Rolling Stones can't get no satisfaction and as of last Tuesday their latest world tour has hit Europe. "A Bigger Bang" kicked off in Milan, Italy and despite being over 60 Mick, Keith, Ron and Charlie proved they can put many much younger artists to shame with their incomparable ability to rock on.
Art: Treehouse Redux - Think back to when you were young, and the kid with the treehouse was the envy of the whole neighbourhood - the perfect place to hide and get away from the grown-ups for a day. But Bremen-based architect Andreas Wenning thought to himself, why should those hideaways be just for kids? So he started designing treehouses for whoever wanted to recapture that green leafy solitude and lo and behold, his idea is more than off the ground!
Travel: Provence's Lavender Harvest - Whether you dab it on your wrists, stash it in a pouch in your undies drawer, or toss it into a salad, LAVENDER is one of the most popular aromatic flowers in the world - not to mention most versatile. The region of Provence in southern France is the best place to get it and because it's harvest time we went down to see beauty you can breathe!
Writers: The man behind Felix - It's over ten years ago that the story of Felix - the lost stuffed toy who wrote adventurous letters home to his owner Sophie - caught the imagination of children in Germany - now his creator is one of the most successful children's book publishers in all of Europe...and Felix is about more than just books! We met up with the man behind the rabbit in Munster. [26 minutes]

Travel: Maltese Falcon - Long before humans beings came up with the word superlative, they were characterised by their innate desire for more, for bigger, faster, higher and stronger. With this in mind, the Maltese Falcon is the logical next step in the world of yachting. As the world's largest and fastest sailboat, it made real waves when it was unveiled last week in Italy - euromaxx got the lowdown on a feat of design from bow to stern.
Travel: The Circus at Regensburg - The Bavarian city of Regensburg was just recently added to Unesco's world heritage list - emphasising its cultural and historical richness - and yet another reason to visit Regensburg at this time of year is the annual Open-Air Festival at Europe's largest lived in palace grounds - the pet event of Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis has been a resounding success for the three years since its launch and we checked out one of this year's highlight performances.
Dining: The Gourmet Bistros of Paris - Paris - the city of lovers and lights - is still the reference point in France when it comes to good food and good restaurants. Many brasseries, bistros and cafes in Paris have played a role in culinary, design, and even political history - and many have stories to tell. French lifestyle author Pierre Rival endeavours to tell some of the best of them in his latest book.
Music: From out of Nowhere - Once upon a time the internet was a menacing place for musicians, who feared nothing worse than illegal trading and pirating of their work. Those days seem long gone now as a new generation of internet savvy artists are reaping the benefits of do-it-yourself internet promotion - the British band Arctic Monkeys rocketed to cyber fame earlier this year and now the latest act to come out of nowhere is London's own Lily Allen - who's currently a fixture on the British singles charts.
Art: Sculptor Stephan Balkenhol - Stephan Balkenhol has been described as a trail-blazing German sculptor - and he's one who's attracted a lot of attention internationally. The central theme of his work is the human form - roughly hewn from the trunk of a tree, and yet with an openness that fascinates. Now the full range of Balkenhol's talent can be admired at the Kunsthalle in Baden-Baden in southern Germany.
Sport: Driving in Berlin - Golf is one of those sports that's often associated with an older and relatively established sector of the population - but here in Berlin, as with everything - some people are working hard at bringing the sport down in years and down to earth. It appears to be working as urban golf clubs are sprouting up all over the city, and a real favourite seems to be the downtown driving range! [26 minutes]

Lifestyle: Women Drivers - With the football world cup out of the way men have started talking about their cars again! That's a cliche of course, as is the myth that women have no idea about cars. Their interest in them may be different - indeed most women are said to give their cars a name. But more and more are becoming real auto enthusiasts. Berlin writer Sharon Adler has published a book about female car fans.
Art: Wagner and the Paint Brush - The German artist Hermann Rongstock just listens to the music of Wagner to find inspiration - especially the operas. So it seems he's landed himself with the perfect job. The annual Wagner festival in Bayreuth is now underway and Rongstock has been hired there as a kind of artist in residence. It's certainly got him busy with his paintbrush.
Art: The Glass Blowers of Murano - To another artistic endeavour now, one which has been going on for centuries, glass blowing in Murano, an island in the Venetian lagoon off the coast of north east Italy. And the best glass to come out of Murano is said to be manufactured by the Venini company. Venini glass is highly sort after - Elton John is just one famous collector - and pieces are on display in museums around the world.
Fashion: He wears Short Shorts - The summers appear to be getting warmer here in Europe - that can be good news if you're on holiday or near the sea. But for those of us who have to work in offices it can be rather uncomfortable. - especially us men. But now businessmen are exchanging their trousers for shorts and wearing them with a jacket, shirt and tie. Travel: Norway by Rail - Now one of the best ways to see this continent is by rail. And there's a very special train journey in Norway which starts at sea level at the end of a fjord and heads up into the mountains on one of the steepest lines on a normal railway guage. The Flohms railway attracts visitors from all over the world.
Music: Jazz Violinist Nigel Kennedy - And finally some new sounds from the violin virtuouso Nigel Kennedy. He's a man who never likes to stand still musically and on his latest album he's playing jazz and blues. When he was studying at the Menuhin school of music as a young boy he used to listen to jazz under his pillow at night. There's lots of improvisation in jazz which is also an attraction for him. See what you think. [26 minutes]

Travel: On the Scottish Border - We begin in Northumberland , a county in North East England that borders on Scotland . Newcastle and Gateshead on the River Tyne estuary used to be known for their coalmining and heavy industry. There's very little of either now and instead, there's been a huge regeneration on the waterfront with an incredible mix of new developments, groundbreaking designs, innovative restorations and with it, a surge of creative talent.
Art: The Green Vault - Here's a sneak preview: The green vault, one of Europe's most exquisite and famous treasure chambers, will open to the public in the eastern German city of Dresden in September. These historic baroque artifacts were brought together by August the Strong at the beginning of the 18th century and have been reunited once again in their rightful home.
Music: The Musical Finns - Finland has just 5 million inhabitants but there are 30 professional symphony orchestras, six opera festivals and 8 thousand pop and rock bands. So it's quite clear that the Finns are avid music lovers. M. A. Numminen is a Finnish institution and since the 1960s has been amusing his countrymen with his newspaper columns, bestselling books and crazy music. Here's his take on why music means so much to the Finns.
Fashion: an Elite Model - From an eccentric to someone with her feet firmly on the ground even though success has come at a very young age. When she was just a teenager Franziska Knuppe won the Elite Model Look competition having been discovered in a cafe by a famous designer just a few months before. But even though she's now jetsetting round the world as a top model she loves to return home to Potsdam just down the road from here.
Design: Fabio Novembre - Flamboyant Italian interior designer Fabio Novembre considers himself to be a philosopher and poet too. All his creations have a narrative element to them often inspired by anything from romantce to death. He's actually a qualified architect but never draws anything, rather explaining his weird and wonderful ideas to his team who then put them all into practice. He specializes in mosaics which enable his fantasy to run riot.
Sport: Polo on the French coast - For horse lovers the place to be -or indeed to be seen - in August is Deauville on the northwest coast of France. There are some very important races in the sporting calendar there but before they get underway it's the turn of the so called sport of kings, polo. This game is particularly enjoyed by high society and indeed you can only get a team together if you have substantial private funds. If you win the rewards are not financial -it's all about taking part. [26 minutes]

Music: Flamenco Fusion - And a warm welcome from Berlin. Over the years some jazz greats like Miles Davis, Lionel Hampton and more recently Carlos Santana have dabbled with flamenco rhythms but in Spain itself this traditional music has, over the centuries, mostly remained unchanged. But a band from Andalucia called Chambao has dared to mix flamenco rhythms with electronic music. Flamenco chill may have shocked a few purists but it's proved very popular with the public.
Performance: Edinburgh Fringe - The Edinburgh Festival Fringe has, over the years since its inception in 1949, swamped the official Edinburgh festival and is now THE place to perform for thousands of artists hoping for that big break. The coveted fringe prize was won last year by the British circus troup "Nofitstate". It seems now the skies the limit for them.
Fashion: Designer Maleena Birger - And if you ever have the chance to go there it really is fantastic. Maleena Birger is one of the most successful fashion designers in Denmark and now exports her clothes to over 20 countries. Copenhagen is rapidly becoming a new fashion centre here in Europe and we visited her there where she showed us some of her haute couture as well as her latest designs.
Travel: The new Marco Polo - As children both Axel Brummer and Peter Glockner were fascinated by Marco Polo and his travels to the far east 800 years ago. So much so that in 2001 they set out on bikes from Germany following in his footsteps to Beijing. Then they decided to return to Europe as he did - in a chinese junk. They've just arrived home in Rostock.
Fashion: Organic Cosmetics - Women happily apply make up on their face every day and over the years have not paid much attention to the ingredients. But just like the trend to eat more naturally produced products so it is nowadays with make up. After all the face is very sensitive, just like the stomach. Organic cosmetics, which incidentally have been around for some time, are now really taking off.
Lifestyle: Virtual Universe - Women happily apply make up on their face every day and over the years have not paid much attention to the ingredients. But just like the trend to eat more naturally produced products so it is nowadays with make up. After all the face is very sensitive, just like the stomach. Organic cosmetics, which incidentally have been around for some time, are now really taking off. [26 minutes]

Music: Stefan Remmler - You might remember hearing it on the radio back in the early 1980s: a curious and decidedly minimalist piece of music from Germany with lyrics you couldn't help but remember. "Da da da" was the work of Stefan Remmler and his legendary group Trio, and the song made them famous the world over. Fans will be pleased to know that Remmler is back with a new album that shows him staying true to his roots.
Photography: Wolrd's most photogenic dog - You might remember hearing it on the radio back in the early 1980s: a curious and decidedly minimalist piece of music from Germany with lyrics you couldn't help but remember. "Da da da" was the work of Stefan Remmler and his legendary group Trio, and the song made them famous the world over. Fans will be pleased to know that Remmler is back with a new album that shows him staying true to his roots.
Art: Red Carpet Zone - Who wouldn't like a chance to get a little red carpet treatment? For most of us, it doesn't happen every day, but in St. Gallen in Switzerland, many people have been enjoying it for some time now. That's because the financial district of town has been transformed into a fully red carpeted zone as part of an unusual art project - so we went to have look.
Travel: The Way of St. James, Spain - The Camino de Santiago or the Way of St. James is the pilgrimage to the famous cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain's most northwestern tip. It's been one of the most important Christian pilgrimages since medieval times and every year thousands of young pilgrims challenge themselves with the long trek to where the apostle James is said to be buried. euromaxx went along one of four routes from southern France to find out what the pilgrims seek on their way.
Music: Szalzburg and the Magic Flute - A spiritual experience of a different kind can be had through listening to the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - and right now there's no better place to do that than at the annual Salzburg Festival in Austria. One regular at the event is Italy 's celebrated conductor Riccardo Muti - this year he's lending his own magic to the irresistible Magic Flute.
Food: Brecht's Favorites - "First comes the grub, then the morals." Anyone who knows the works of German playwright Bertolt Brecht might remember that famous line from his 1928 work The Three-Penny Opera. Not only in his work but also in life food and drink were a recurring theme for Brecht. Now a new cookbook of his favourite recipes lends more insight into the private lives of Brecht and his wife and leading actress Helene Waigel - euromaxx reports on a culinary tribute. [26 minutes]

Music: Laid Back Classics in Lucerne - There's lots of irreverence and humour in the music of Austrian composer HK Gruber. He doesn't take his music or himself very seriously nor do the classical musicians who perform his works. In fact they love playing his orchestral pieces as it gives them the chance to let their hair down. At the moment he's the featured composer at the Lucern festival in Switzerland but we caught up with him beforehand at his home in Austria.
Art: The Midas Touch of Rik Reinking - You wouldn't think to look at him that Rik Reinking is one of Europe's leading art collectors. But he has an uncanny feel for what is going to be worth something in a few years time. It all started when he was just 16 years old and buying paintings from art students with his pocket money. Now at the age of 30 when it comes to contemporary art his advice is sought by other private collectors and museums too.
Art: Palermo Festival - All through the summer the city of Palermo on the Italian island of Sicily is playing host to a series of artistic events collectively called the Kals'art festival. The Kalsa quarter is Palermo's ancient Arab heart with over a thousand years of history. A large stage there is the centre of the festival but there is music, theatre, cinema and art exhibitions scattered all over town from July until September.
Food: Chef Eckart Witzigmann - Germany's most celebrated chef is Eckart Witzigmann. He's been exciting the palates of gourmets for nearly 50 years and the accolades keep pouring in. He has a chain of dinner shows here in various cities and the gourmet guide Gault Millau even named him as a cook of the century in 1994. To cook or not to cook is the question posed by his biography.
Design: Tom Dixon - British designer Tom Dixon is very good at combining the creative with the practical. He follows his designs through to the finished product. Dixon is completely self taught, and actually first made a name for himself welding furniture out of old car wrecks. Nowadays he's got a "proper job" as head of design for the furniture store Habitat, but he still likes to experiment with other projects.
Music: Helena Noguerra by the Sea - Great. Helena Noguerra isn't just satisfied with having one successful career. The Belgium born singer songwriter is a model, and actress, an author - she's written two novels so far - and speaks French, Portuguese and English fluently. But music is her real passion. Her latest CD together with the musician Federico Pellegrini came out in July and we caught up with her at an unusual open air concert by the sea. [26 minutes]

Dining: A Sommelier Supreme - Sommelier Robert Lie is younger than many of the wines he tastes. The 25 year old from Norway has taken the wine connoisseurs of Europe by surprise and won the coveted Trophee Ruinart - which allows him to call himself Europe's best sommelier. Although there are no vineyards in his native country this has never stopped him tasting wines from all over the globe.
Music: Kim Wilde Returns - Kim Wilde was one of Europe's most successful pop stars in the 1980s. She actually topped the charts in her own country, Britain, fourteen times in that decade. In the 90s she got married, settled down to family life and found another passion, her garden, actually making a new career as a TV gardener. But now she's back with a brand new album, her first in a decade.
Fashion: Model Julia Stegner - Julia Stegner is another in a long line of top models originating from here in Germany. At school she played in the basketball team and her nickname was beanpole. Nowadays clothes look great on her 6 foot frame. A favourite with top designers and photographers she's now the face of a new perfume.
Sport: The Hamburg Polo School - The sport of kings, Polo, is said to be the oldest ball game in the world. Used as a training exercise for cavalry units in the armies of central Asia hundreds of years ago it became popular with the British in colonial India in the 19th century. Today the sport is becoming better known here in Germany, mainly due to this country's top player Thomas Winter who also runs a polo school in Hamburg.
Photography: El Pussycat - The Dutch photographer El Pussycat could almost be described as a graffiti artist. He sets up his camera with a long exposure then graffitis the photo with his flashlight. Confused well the best way to explain this is to see our report - the first time El Pussycat has been filmed at work.
Finally, I spent ten years on the road in a band so I know a little bit about touring. You move around so fast sometimes you're not sure which town you're in. Two German authors wanted to get a visual record of the rambling life of rock musicians. So they asked various pop stars to draw something important instead of giving an interview. The results have been published in book form. [26 minutes]

Design: Old Wine in New Bottles - A young wine maker near Frankfurt took over his father's company 8 years ago, completely revamped it and now has been rewarded with a top award - for design. Martin Tesch won the Red Dot award for product design having carried out a complete overhaul of the company that's been in his family for three hundred years. And now his Riesling wine is selling all over the globe.
Art: Art & Love - Niki de Saint Phalle and Jean Tinguely were one of the great duos of twentieth century contemporary art. Even though they came from completely different backgrounds, they were almost inseperable for thirty years until Tinguely died in 1991. It was art and love that kept them together and "Art and Love" is the name of an exhibition currently celebrating their work together in the Tinguely Museum in Basel, Switzerland.
Fashion: Manolos Shoes - Men tend to have a couple of pairs of shoes at home. One black, one brown and perhaps a pair of sports shoes. So I won't pretend to understand the importance that a woman places on her footwear. Suffice it to say I do realize that shoes are a vital fashion accessory. Expensive women's shoes are often called "Manolos" nowadays after the Spanish shoe-maker Manolo Blahnik, but HE has recently been praising the British shoemaker Georgina Goodman, saying she's the future of fashionable footwear.
Music: Michael Gibbs "Jazzphony" - "Jazzphony" is a combination of jazz and classical music written by the British composer Michael Gibbs. He actually wrote it fifteen years ago and it came out on CD. But there was never a live performance of the work until now. The seven jazz soloists needed for this unique project all had very busy calendars. But finally last weekend they managed to come together in Hamburg and if the reaction of the crowd is anything to go by, it was obviously worth the wait.
Words: Comic Boom - Japan is the world leader in comic books or Mangas as they are called there. It's a five billion dollar industry worldwide and it's becoming big business here in Europe, especially in France where last year over ten million Mangas were sold. They are comics for all ages and now the very first Manga cafe has opened up in Paris, where devotees can completely immerse themselves in their passion.
Travel: Lake Klopein - Christian Pongratz comes from the Austrian province of Carinthia. He left the region for a few years to work abroad - but he soon felt homesick and returned. Now he lives and works where other people come on holiday. As often as he can, he jumps on his bike and heads for the mountains that surround Lake Klopein. [26 minutes]

Lifestyle: Buggy Rolling - We start off with something to get your heartrates up and running and that's a crazy new sport called buggy rolling. Invented by a crazy French guy named Jean Yves Blondeau -this is high adrenaline stuff where you have to be sure to keep your nose off the pavement - we caught him hurtling down a mountain side in the Alps to see how it's done.
Travel: Oktoberfest in Schottenhamel - Ripping down a mountainside in futuristic gear is about the last thing on the minds of Lederhosen clad crowds in the Bavarian capital Munich at the annual Oktoberfest. The world's largest folk festival turned on the taps on September 16th, and this year visitors can quaff away until and including the October 3rd national holiday. That means 18 days of music and revelry during which millions of litres of beer are consumed, not to mention hundreds of thousands of sausages...visitors will enjoy it all in 14 massive beer tents and we visited one of the most established: the Schottenhamel.
Fashion: Singing in the Rain, with Style - With the rainy fall season fast approaching many people in northern Europe will be in the market for an umbrella - but most people won't waste too much time making a decision, choosing a simple black or blue, as long as it keeps their heads dry. French creatrice Alexandra Sojfer begs to differ: for her the umbrella or parasol is a work of art in its own right and she makes them into luxury articles that are somehow must-haves at the same time!
Art: Photographer Stefan Reusse - Laboratory mice are part and parcel of the daily routine for many a scientist - and that's why the work of German artist Stephan Reusse is the kind of thing to warm their hearts. In fact, he could in turn make interesting pictures out of those very warm hearts. That's because for 20 years now Reusse has used a thermal camera for his rather unconventional art - his latest installation is a tribute to mice and their movement, and the beauty of life itself.
Music: A New Classic from an Old Beatle - Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney is one of those guys who seems destined to go on writing music history -and, as we know it goes well beyond She Loves you Ya Ya Ya and his Fab Four legacy. Now that he's 64, McCartney is back in the spotlight with his new album "Ecce cor meum" - or "Behold My Heart" in Latin. It's once again a classical album and his fourth since his debut "Liverpool Oratorio" was released in 1991. It's also a gripping labour of love and one that makes you want to stop everything and just listen.
Art: 2006 BACA awards - The Biennial Award for Contemporary Art, or BACA for short, is one of the most prestigious prizes available for European artists. It's awarded every two years from the Bonnefantenmuseum in Maastricht in the Netherlands - and this year's winner of 50,000 euros, an oeuvre catalogue and an accompanying exhibition is Welsh artist Bethan Huws, whose complex work is full of surprises and good humor as well. [26 minutes]

Festivals: Printemps de September - Spring in September festival in Toulouse - Welcome to our highlights of the week... One of which is still happening in the beautiful French city of Toulouse! They're putting some spring into their fall step with the annual art festival "Printemps de Septembre." For five years now the festival has attracted top notch artists and enchanted visitors with a lively mix of visual arts and performance. Nicknamed "la ville rose" because of it's lovely rose-coloured brick buildings, Toulouse on the Garonne river makes a perfect backdrop - and the festival runs until October 15th.
Music: James Last - He's been around for decades, but I'm not the only one to suspect that we haven't heard the last of James Last. In fact, although he's tried to wrap things up with a farewell tour on several occasions already, the king of easy listening just can't seem to quiet down. This month, at 77, he's embarking on "The Last Tour" -which he swears will be his stage farewell. A new biography has also just hit the shelves in Germany - giving fans the inside story on their favourite Happy Music man.
Travel: Berlin A to Z - This next piece is about an experiment in two parts: the first is an exhibition, and the second is a travel guide of the same name for the rather more demanding tourist - the hitch is so far it's only available for tourists from Japan and Korea! "Berlin A to Z" was put together by a bunch of creative thinkers who know parts of the city that traditional tour guides won't - and upon trying it out we discovered that even locals could be sure to find something new!
Movies: Sarah Biasini - It was 21 years after the tragic death of her mother, Austrian screen legend Romy Schneider, that Sarah Biasini decided to venture into acting herself. In 2003 she landed her first leading role for French television - since then she's made appearances on theatre stages in London and Paris. Now her career is rolling and she's filming for the first time in Vienna - the city where both her mother and grandmother made their names. Needless to say her sojourn there was big news.
Books: British author Terry Pratchett - British author Terry Pratchett doesn't place much stake in reality, and after thirty years of writing successful fantasy novels, he doesn't really need to. Best known for his Discworld series, Pratchett is a regular on the bestseller lists all over the world - his latest novel "Thud" is now out in paperback and we met up with him at home in Wiltshire to gain some insight into why he writes the way he does.
Design: Furniture creator Moroso - If you're into designer furniture then chances are you're familiar with the name Moroso. One of the great labels in high-end Italian furniture, Moroso stands for a meeting of art and design, and that's thanks to the firm's art director Patrizia Moroso, who wants nothing to do with traditional marketing and advertising. Instead she relies on gut feeling and her desire to create products with soul. It's a strategy that works - and we met up with her in the northern Italian city of Udine. [26 minutes]

Travel: Germany's Quirks - Really only foreigners can see clearly the cliches of other countries. I've lived here for nearly twenty years now, and I thought I knew all the special quirks and foibles of the Germans. But the Russian writer Maxim Gorski has written a tongue in cheek book that confirms everything I've always suspected about Germans and a lot more besides.
Design: Container City - Moving to my country now, known for its eccentrics - and I guess it's no surprise that it's an English architect who thought of recycling boring metal shipping containers into interesting living environments. Eric Reynolds has been creating container cities for years by piling old ones on top of each other, giving them porthole windows and all mod cons. The results are quite surprising, these rectangular metal boxes have become quirky, environmentally friendly homes.
Travel: Dracula's Castle - The Irish author Bram Stoker put Transylvania on the map when he wrote his novel Dracula in 1897. Transylvania today is a part of Romania and many tourists come looking for Dracula's castle. But like all good legends, nobody's quite sure where exactly Dracula's lair is. Bran Castle in the Carpathian mountains is the most popular choice for tourists but there are other spooky haunts that lay claim to being the home of the bloodthirsty count.
Photography: The Red Sofa - Horst Wackerbarth: The German photographer Horst Wackerbarth has been wandering around the world with a huge red sofa for 25 years now. All sorts of people from politicians to artists and just normal passersby have posed on the sofa for his "gallery of mankind." Now he's doing the same thing closer to home visiting all 16 German states to document the locals on film. And the colour of the sofa has changed slightly too.
Cooking: Sophie Dudemaine - sweet French Baking: Sophie Dudemaine is France's answer to Jamie Oliver. Her TV show is a huge hit there, her cookery courses are booked out years in advance, and her latest book has sold one and a half million copies in France alone. Her speciality is baking - both savoury and sweet - and she's constantly dreaming up new recipes to wet the palette of anyone with a penchant for cakes.
Music: Five Corners Quintet - Jazz: The Five Corners Quintet from Helsinki were initially set up by composer and producer Tuomas Kallio with the idea of releasing a few vinyl singles of stylish jazz music for the dance floor. But success has taken over. The Finnish group is a combination of live playing and samples taken from classic jazz records of the 1960s. The title of their first album explains it best "Chasing the Jazz gone by". [26 minutes]

Music: Julio Iglesias - Julio Iglesias is not only the world's most successful Latin singer, he is one of the world's most popular singers in any genre. He's sold over 250 million albums to date. One of the reasons he's so popular is because he sings in many different languages. Now, for the first time in 12 years he's recorded an entire album in English. But the type of songs remain the same whichever language he sings in. His subject is, as always, romance. Living: House Sharing in Dusseldorf - If you've ever been a student you've most probably shared an apartment with other students. So you've learnt the hard way that other people's habits are different to yours. But if there's somebody to clean up after you, do your ironing and even cook for you then sharing becomes much easier. Of course the resulting costs are too high for a student but for young professionals at the start of their careers, it's just the thing. We visit some upmarket shared housing in Dusseldorf.
Living: Cloudspotting - I think everybody must have looked up into the clouds at some time or other and seen a face or figure or shape in the cloud formation. I certainly have, and as an Englishman there was always plenty of opportunities with the changeable weather in Britain. So it's no surprise that it's an Englishman who has written a book called "The Cloudspotters Guide". Gavin Pretor Pinney spends a lot of time gazing up into the heavens at the world's biggest and most public art exhibition..
Film: Klaus Maria Brandauer - Klaus Maria Brandauer is Austria's most famous contemporary actor. He's been in numerous Hollywood films too, often playing the bad guy like the evil villain in the James Bond movie "Never say never again". Then he received an Oscar nomination as Meryl Streep's cheating husband in "Out of Africa." Here in the German speaking world he's one of the most charismatic stage actors of his generation and was honored with the European Culture Prize for acting this week . We talked to him exclusively here in Berlin.
Design: Anna Maria Jagdfeld - Anna Maria Jagdfeld runs one of Germany's most successful interior design companies. She's designed many luxury hotel interiors like the famous Adlon here in Berlin as well as high class shopping malls. She has an eye for the exclusive and boldly mixes colours and styles. And when her business day is done, there's little time to relax as she's the mother of five children.
Art: Comic Publisher - The Belgians love their comics and indeed are responsible for some of the most celebrated comic book figures. Le Lombard or Lombard Editions is one of the leading comic book publishers in the capital Brussels. They are currently celebrating 60 years in the business and their success is still very much due to a young detective and his dog who they first introduced to the world 60 years ago. [26 minutes]

Music: Police and Sting on Super 8 - In the late seventies and eighties one of the biggest band's in the world was the British trio the Police. Lead singer Sting had a knack of writing great pop melodies and with the music heavily influenced by ska and reggae they produced unique hits like "Roxanne" and "Message in a Bottle". The band was actually the brainchild of drummer Stewart Copeland and it was Copeland who documented life on the road with his Super 8 camera. Now he's finally brought out a behind the scenes documentary about the Police.
Living: Best Place to Live in Europe - For the last five years a German property investment company has held an annual competition to find out where the best place to live in Europe is. This year's DIFA award went to the Aarker Brugge neighbourhood of Oslo. The jury considered this particular area of the Norwegian capital to be the most attractive environment to live and work in. So let's see why.
Film: Sofie Coppola's Marie Antoinette - O ne of the most opulent places to live here in Europe is undoubtedly the Palace of Versailles just outside Paris. That's where the French queen Marie Antoinette lived almost a surreal existence in the 18th century surrounded by sycophantic courtiers and endless wealth. Sofie Coppola's film of Marie Antoinette's life at the French court actually used the original location for many of its scenes.
Travel: Slow trip via Carriage - Through modern technology our life today is very fast-paced. Instant access to news all over the world, instant communication by phone and computers, instant food. Everything is "now". So it's refreshing to hear of an entrepreneur who is trying to slow things down a bit. Roland Belz loves vintage carriages and recreates classic horseless carriages from the 19th century. The only modern touch is the engine - but it only has one speed - slow!
Entertainment: Moscow's Highbrow Clubs - Now back up to speed to Moscow's nightlife which is definitely a growing industry in the Russian capital. But it's not all loud discos and clubs for the nouveau riche. For those looking to broaden their minds intellectually of an evening, there are also plenty of choices too. This is mainly due to one man Dmitri Izkovich, Russia's top intellectual entrepreneur. His clubs combine all sorts of highbrow activities under one roof.
Fashion: Woman with a nose for perfume - Sissel Tolaas from Norway has a highly developed sense of smell which she has spent years training. While she does sometimes work for the perfume industry she really concentrates on her conceptual art, using smell as an art form in itself. She has her own archive where she stores thousands of aromas from everyday life created artificially in her laboratory. Right now one of her unique artworks can be smelled at an exhibition in the German town of Essen - not to be sniffed at! [26 minutes]

Food: Learning to Cook from a French Master - We start off on a culinary note with Paul Bocuse, world famous chef and a proud ambassador of fine French cuisine. This is the man who cooks in TRADITIONAL French fashion, with lots of cream and heavenly sauces -and his own cooking institute near Lyon is meanwhile one of the top places to learn the trade. We popped in on this year's graduating class to see what "gastronomie a la Bocuse" can look like.
Art: Artist with a past - For those days when you think you're in the wrong job, this next piece is proof that it's never too late to change. Consider the resume of Belgian-born artist Carsten Holler: after a doctorate in biology, he spent time as a phytopathologist, an agronomic entomologist, and then specialised in insect communication. Not a likely path for an artist you might think, but lo and behold, now he's exhibiting at the Tate Modern in London - with something he thinks could put some zip back into public transport.
Film: Silver Screen Roots - When it comes to the film industry, Hollywood loves to hog the spotlight AND not least the money for productions, but that wasn't always the case! One hundred years ago exactly the Nordisk film studios were founded in the Danish capital Copenhagen, and through the hey day of silent films they boasted some of Europe's major stars. That makes Nordisk the oldest existing film studios in the world - our cue to look back on a century of film silver screen success.
Shopping: For the Spy who you love - With Christmas fast approaching many people will once again be faced with the question of what to get for that person who has everything? One German online company has an easy answer: "Mydays" offers unusual gift ideas from hot chocolate massages to dogsledding weekends, and one very popular package is the "special agent for a day". We decided this one had to be seen to be believed so we sent our inrepid reporter out to have a Bond experience.
Art: A Gallery at Home - She's director of one of London's most important international galleries, and as such Mollie Dent-Brocklehurst's days are all about contemporary art. Big name artists such as Damien Hirst, Anselm Kiefer or Georg Baselitz regularly walk through her door - and therefore it's no surprise that she decided to use her family residence - Sudeley Castle in the Cotswold Hills in England - as an extended show space. Which is good news for artists and visitors alike.
Sport: Diving in the deep off Iceland's Coast - And for the surprise note of the show - did you know that there's world class diving to be had in Iceland? Iceland itself straddles what's known as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge which marks the division between the European and North American continental plates. In southwestern Iceland this gap is filled with water and accessible to divers, who can discover a secret world of middle earth proportions with extraordinary visibility! [26 minutes]

Shopping: The endless Possibilities of the Gift Basket - Hi there and welcome to our highlights edition! It seems to come more & more quickly every year, but here it is, the season of Advent, and time to get into Christmas shopping in earnest! In Britain that often means investing in a Christmas gift basket - and business at major department stores there is currently booming as people stock up on luxury goodies for their loved ones to enjoy over the holidays. The nice thing about this kind of gift is that the possibilities are endless...we checked out some of the most sumptuous baskets in London.
Film: War and Peace Redux - We learn from very young that the greatest stories always merit retelling, so no doubt Russian author Leo Tolstoy would be thrilled that his epic novel War and Peace enjoys such longevity. The classic tale is now being refilmed as a grandiose four-part television series. The project is hailed as one of Europe's largest co-productions and features a cast of stars young and established - and to get to the real Russian soul of the matter -the crew is on location in St. Petersburg!
Fashion: Italy's Maz Mara - Next up we're treated to a journey through the world of Italian fashion, courtesy of one of the oldest and most renowned "made in Italy" labels - Max Mara. After 55 years in the business, the company thought it was high time to blow its horn a bit and open its closets to the public. And so the first exhibition on the comprehensive history of Max Mara opened this week in Berlin - with a very fitting focal point.
Photography: The art of public spaces - Candida Hofer: As one of Germany's top contemporary photographers, Candida Hofer has made her name with a rather unusual subject matter. A graduate of Dusseldorf's Art Academy, Hofer specialises in rooms and public spaces like libraries, museums and train stations - but she likes to click the shutter when everyone has gone home. ABSENCE of the human factor is a big theme in her work - and now an exhibition of hers is on display in rooms that are hallowed territory for any artist.
Popular Culture: Spain's Osborne Toros - You don't have to go to a bullfight to see a bull in Spain - all you have to do is drive along the highway and you'll see many a black silhouette of a bull rearing its horns at intervals across the countryside. That is Osborne's bull - and just as the Toro has its undeniable place in Spanish culture -this bull has been part of Spain's advertising landscape for exactly fifty years. Originally a kind of stylised billboard for the well-known sherry and other spirits - the bulls are now a beloved national emblem.
Music: Italy's soundtrack master - Italian composer Ennio Morricone has written the soundtrack for hundreds of films in his time, and many of his scores - like for instance for the spaghetti westerns, "Once Upon a time in the West" or "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" -or "The Mission" are masterpieces in their own right. Now his fans have a rare occasion to see the Maestro in action as he's on an international tour with Milan's La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra - we managed to corner him shortly for a few words. [26 minutes]

Design: Madrid's Contemporary Christmas festival - Here in Europe we're all beginning to get that Christmas feeling. The Christmas decorations are going up and Christmas lights are shining in all the major capitals in Europe. None more spectacular than in Madrid where the lights have been created by different contemporary designers based in the city and they have certainly let their imagination run riot. The results are extraordinary with a kaleidoscope of colour all over town.
Music: Heidi Klum Sings - Heidi Klum is one of the world's top models, appears in numerous adverts and has even presented her own TV casting show here looking for Germany's next top model. She's the mother of three children and is married to the British singer Seal. And it seems she's going to give him a run for his money in the pop charts now. Her first single, recorded as part of an advertising campaign is already in the top twenty here.
Public Art: Bigger than Life - Frankfurt agency Atelier Markgraph has made a real name for itself in Germany recently with its larger-than-life projections at mega-events. They lit up the skies of Germany's financial capital during the world cup with an extraordinary slide show set against the skyscrapers there and have dazzled at a number of major trade shows. Atelier Markgraph have scooped up several design prizes, including a prestigious Red Dot Award for communication design for a spectacular project for the museums in Frankfurt am Main, a fairground big wheel with a difference.
Dining: Italy's Silver Spoon - Eating is a serious business in Italy and a very important part of the culture there. Italian cooking is simple but insisting on fresh ingredients is the most important principle behind this delicious cuisine. Italy's food bible is called "Il cucchiaio d'argento" or "The Silver Spoon". It's the most successful cookbook of all time there, full of recipes handed down from generation to generation. Now we all have the chance to cook authentic Italian food as the book is available in English.
Photography: Lifesize Portraits - For once, we can say: DO try this at home, it looks delicious. Nowadays cameras can be the size of a credit card but the Imago One to One is one of the biggest cameras in the world. It's like an enormous passport photo booth and creates huge lifesize self portraits. And the life size pictures that it takes are of you as you really are - not as you see yourself in the mirror but as other people see you.
Music: Cape Verdean singer Morna - The Cape Verde Islands which used to be a Portuguese colony are located off the coast of Senegal in West Africa. They have a very original style of music there called "Morna" which is a blend of African, south American and European influences. It's even been compared to the blues as well. A star in her native Portugal the singer Lura is one of the best proponents of the "Morna" style. Right now she's currently in America spreading the word about this special music on a world tour. [26 minutes]

France: the lights of Montbeliard
And a very festive welcome to the show from here in Berlin. One of the things I most love about this time of year are the Christmas lights. In towns and cities throughout Europe there are kaleidoscopes of illuminations brightening up the streets. And the small town of Montbeliard in France is actually famous for its lights. The illuminations there are very special and they've been designed by a team of professionals from Italy for the last fifteen years.
Sport: Winter Surfing
Changing the mood completely we're off for a bit of surfing in Norway. As you might imagine most surfers are currently in the warmer southern hemisphere looking for that very special wave to glide them to the beach. But Tore Kramer prefers to stay at home in Stavangar on the south west coast of Norway. It's cold and windy - and even colder in the water - but the big advantage is, of course, that he's got the place to himself.
Dining: Filzmoos of Austria.
Rather him than me. Filzmoos in Austria is a ski resort but it's also home to one of the world's top chefs Johanna Maier. Her career is really a Cinderella story with a difference because in her case she wasn't allowed in the kitchen until she was 33 years old. But she's made up for lost time and her restaurant now has two Michelin stars.
Sport: Microgolf
Now if you eat too much over the festive season and you need a bit of amusement without too much exercise you can play golf - in your living room. Although I'm not a golfer myself I can see that "Pit Green" won't improve your swing, but it does look like you can have a lot of fun with this game. It's a kind of micro version of mini golf.
Fashion: Jewellery designer Sophie Harley
British jewellery designer Sophie Harley is busier than ever. She's had commisions from all sorts of stars and even royalty in the past but now she's run off her feet. It's all because she designed and made a piece of jewellery that was worn by leading lady Ava Green in the latest James Bond movie "Casino Royale."
Music: Tango bittersweet
Quadro Nuevo is a quartet from here in Germany whose music is a real mixture of many styles. Since they met almost by accident ten years ago they have toured relentlessly, promoting their very individualistic musical style. They just love to play live. The main influence is tango but there's classcical music, jazz, sometimes a bit of bossa nova, the list is endless. Have a listen and see what you think. [26 minutes]

Music: Sandra Pires - Sandra Pires won Australia's most important singing competition when she was just fifteen. Then she took off for Europe and in 1998 attracted the attention of the Italian superstar Eros Ramazzotti. She recorded an English language version of one of his songs which immediately hit the charts in Austria where she now lives. Currently she's starring in the "Sound of Music" there singing in English and has a new CD out - singing in her native Portuguese.
Travel: Virtual Bavaria - Neuschwanstein is Germany's most popular tourist attraction. It was built by King Ludwig the second of Bavaria who also had plans for many other grand palaces which never came to fruition. But thanks to modern technology his visions can now be seen for the first time in a project called "virtual Bavaria".
Food: Spain's finest - The Spanish chef Ferran Adria is one of the most creative on the planet. His restaurant "El Bulli" was voted the best in the world in 2006 and aspiring young chefs dream of being able to work there. And for a select few this dream comes true. But it isn't just about slaving away over a hot stove - there's lots of science involved when cooking with Ferran Adria.
Nightlife: when the night lasts forever - You wouldn't think that Stavangar on the west coast of Norway is the place for a party at this time of year. It's very cold and rainy there and there are very few hours of daylight. Perhaps that's why the nightlife has to be seen to be believed - it just goes on and on. In fact Stavanger is Norway's number one party town.
Art: Pavel Mitkov - Bulgaria's most successful contemporary artist is Pavel Mitkov. He's had major exhibitions all over the world and the Bulgarian government is so proud of him it's even presented paintings by him to visiting dignitaries like President Putin or Hilary Clinton. We managed to catch the artist at work in his studio in Sofia.
Communication: Second Life - And finally we're going to take you into the virtual world of "Second Life". This is an internet community which has over two million users and it's growing fast. In fact it's easily mixed up with the real world. A US politician has held something like a virtual press conference in "Second Life" and an English comedian is planning a live show before an invited audience for the internet site in February. And a German newspaper has started a virtual edition there too. [26 minutes]

Fashion: Pierre Cardin still at work - 60 years after launching himself into the world of fashion, French designer Pierre Cardin says fashion remains his drug - and he'd do it all over again in a minute. That's certainly the kind of attitude that keeps you young - when he got started in the 1940s he was the youngest designer in Paris -today he's the oldest one still working, and after helping write fashion history in the last century he's now actively preserving his own legacy - with a new museum outside of Paris.
Music: Who cues the DIVA? - The DIVA is the star of the show on the opera stage - anyone who's spent a night at the opera knows that -but what many people don't know is that that diva is very dependant on another leading lady. The souffleuse or "whisperer" is like the extension of the conductor for the actors on what can sometimes be a massive stage. We found out more about this little-known job at the famous Semper Opera House in Germany's southeastern city of Dresden.
Art: Monk's Conceptual Art - And now for a look at some conceptual art - that's the kind where the IDEA of a work matters more than its physical substance. British artist Jonathan Monk likes to make it playful and even poetic, and he's as much a recyclist as an artist, often playing with paradox and conceptual strategies developed by others. So to see what that all means in the visual, we went to see Jonathan Monk's work on show at the Haus am Waldsee in Berlin.
Winter Sport: Speedflying the French Slopes - Imagine having a leisurely ski down a mountain and suddenly off to your right there's a kamikaze-type character, zooming over the off-trail side and simply lifting into the air now and again to avoid rocks, cliffs and crags. Someone who's skiing AND paragliding at the same time! These guys are called speedflyers and it's about four years ago that the sport was invented in France - the home of so many extreme sports! Despite its risks its now growing in popularity and we caught up with a group in Austria to see how it's done.
Collectors: Vintage Car Haven - For lovers of vintage automobiles let it be known that Germany is home to not one but TWO top locations for drivers, collectors, historians, and anyone who's simply crazy about oldtimer models. After the opening of the Meilenwerk automobile forum in Berlin in 2003, September of last year saw the Meilenwerk Dusseldorf open its gates. And with 19,000 square metres rented to capacity, it's like a permanent trade show for hobby and professional enthusiasts alike.
Music: Homage for Maria Callas - She was one of the most famous singers on the opera stage - Maria Callas - renowned for her voice, her beauty, and her capricious character. An American-born Greek soprano, her special talent was to combine her impressive bel canto technique with an amazing gift of expression - such that many of her performances unforgettable to this day. This year will mark thirty years since her death in 1977 and for the next 12 months special events all over the globe will pay hommage to her - Rome did the honour of kicking off the tribute with an in-depth exhibition. [26 minutes]

Highlights this week: the latest from French Actor Gerard Depardieu, a profile of opera's fastest rising star, and marking the centenary of the creator of Europe's most beloved cartoon character, "Tin Tin". [30 minutes]

This week:
Prize Porcelain - The Hering Company's handmade tableware from Germany.
Austria's little known auto - the "Puch" celebrates 50 years, and a visit to the 400 year old Hofbrauhaus in Munich. [26 minutes]

Carnival Capers Cologne is one of the liveliest locations in Germany for seasonal merrymaking.
How to be an absolute ace at the poker table.
Animated Action Meet top cartoon film artist Georges Schwizgebel from Switzerland. [26 minutes]

A profile of Monocle Magazine - a new and exciting lifestyle magazine from Britain; Cold Comfort - Cuddle up for the night in an igloo hotel high up in the Swiss Alps, and still popular more than a century later - Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. [30 minutes]

Highlights this week:
Gourmets Galore: The Rheingau region is holding its annual food and wine festival .
Style Star Designer Arne Quinze from Belgium is a man of many talents.
Soul Singer Joss Stone from Britain has just released a new CD. [26 minutes]

Sounds of Scandinavia - The Lahti symphony orchestra from Finland finds international acclaim.
Role Model - Heidi Klum's TV reality show is a smash hit with wannabe models in Germany.
Football on Film - A documentary about French football icon Zinedine Zidane. [26 minutes]

Pilot Project: Learning how to drive a dog sled on the east coast of Greenland Splendid Spa: Taking the waters in the Slovakian resort of Piestany.
Fashion Front: jewelry that adapts to your outfit. [26 minutes]

Spectacular Structures: A Dutch duo of architects creates world-renowned buildings.
Windsurfing Wonder: No world record is safe from Danish surfer Bjorn Dunkerbeck.
Wheels, Men and Women: German photographer Werner Eisele has a book out called Cars and Girls. [26 minutes]

Touch of Class: Jeni Shivkova and Virginia Zdravkova are Bulgaria's top fashion designers.
Location, Location: A row of ultra-modern townhouses are now right in the middle of Berlin.
All That Jazz: Swedish trio E.S.T. is one of the world's most successful jazz bands. [26 minutes]

Lord of the Seas: Publisher Nikolaus Gelpke and his lasting passion for the ocean depths.
King of the Road: Jo Vonlanthen has a unique collection of Formula One racing cars.
Prince of the Pitch: Moritz Volz plays for the London football club Fulham and writes for the Times newspaper. [26 minutes]

Eco Enthusiasm: It's hip to Green.
Playful Partitions: Innovative room dividers from two top French designers.
Culinary Calling Harald Wohlfahrt serves up only the best at his restaurant in the Black Forest. [26 minutes]

Food For Fun: Star chef Alfons Schuhbeck is the pioneer of event cuisine Going for Green: Meet the men who keep a top German golf course in pristine condition. Thanks for the Memory: The Hamburg mods who are keeping the sixties alive. [26 minutes]

Musical Journey: Maurice Bejart's ballet version of Around the World in 80 Days premieres in Switzerland
Christmas Magic: euromaxx visits the enchanting Bavarian town of Rothenburg on the Tauber
Seasonal Sweets: Chocolate tree baubles melt in your mouth
Dance: Welcome to our highlights of the week - one of which was a tribute to one of the greatest choreographers of our time. French-born Maurice Bejart set new standards in the field during a career that spanned five decades. In late November of this year he died at age 80, and since then his group Ballet Bejart in Lausanne, Switzerland has been working feverishly to bring his last production to the stage. The premiere of "Around the world in 80 minutes" was an emotional one.
Travel: When K#the Wohlfahrt and her husband settled in Rothenburg in southern Germany back in 1977, none of the locals were very impressed with their idea of a Christmas shop that was to open all year round. Everyone was certain that within three months, the shop would go under. Pretty soon they were thinking again, and today, K#the Wohlfahrt's shop is one of the best known addresses for traditional German Christmas decorations in the world - and a major tourist attraction in Rothenburg, whatever the season.
Art: The poet W.H. Auden called him probably the most cosmopolitan man who ever lived, and it's certainly hard to find a biography like his anymore. German Count Harry Kessler had a many-faceted career but was first and foremost a dedicated patron of the arts - and a tireless champion of the modern movement. Now for the 70th anniversary of his death, a new exhibition at Berlin's Br#han Museum looks back on his amazing life.
Music: And now it's off to the Italian capital Rome, which was treated to a very special Christmas concert earlier this week. An international jazz jam with six musicians from Germany, Sweden and Italy, including Germany's own star Till Br#nner on the trumpet. And their playlist was definitely seasonal...
Lifestyle: And we continue with one of the more personal aspects of Christmas, namely the gift-giving. And before the presents get stashed underneath the tree, there's the wonderful ritual of wrapping with colourful papers, ribbons and bows, and so on. In the past few years gift wrapping has become very much an art unto itself and sometimes the presents are so beautiful you hardly want to open them, but that, says one expert here in Germany, is what makes it all the more fun.
Food: And finally, no Christmas would be complete without an abundance of sweet treats here in Europe, and in Belgium they really know what they're doing in that department. Belgium is one of the world's leading manufacturers of fine chocolate and pralines, and award winning chocolatier Pierre Marcolini is the type of guy who can take that long tradition and shake it up into something new and exciting for today's sophisticated palate. We checked out his pre-Christmas selection. [26 minutes]

Fruit Photography: Incredible upclose photos of fruits and seeds are achieved by biologist Wolfgang Stuppy who uses an electron microscope.
Art for Animals at the Zoo: The Tiergarten Schonbrunn in Vienna has installed sculptures in animals' compounds. The exhibition is called "Trouble in Paradise".
100 Years of Morgan: We profile this British company which celebrates a century of auto production. Its "Four Four" is the longest single car model produced in the world. Only about 700 are built a year.
500 Years of Altenburg Card Sets: The oldest playing card company in the world is in Altenburg in eastern Germany where cards have been produced for 500 years.
Eating as an Art: Dutch designer Marie Vogelzang. considers eating an artistic experience, and so each booking is an event for her for which she develops a special concept.
Crime and Wine: We profile young German vintner Andreas Wagner who cultivates grapes by day, but by night he's sitting at his desk solving crimes that he writes about for his novels. [26 minutes]

Science-Fiction King: Frank Schitzing's new novel "Limit" came out this week.
Can-Can: The Moulin Rouge in Paris celebrates 120 years of entertaining.
Top Food: The Rosin in Germany has been voted the Best Restaurant in Germany.
Monet Masterpieces : The Von-Der-Heydt Museum in Wuppertal, Germany, is preparing a special exhibition on the works of the French impressionist.
Dancing Designers : Two professional ballet dancers from Stuttgart are inspired by their stage lives to produce their own fashion line.
Brown Is Big: The color brown is becoming a favourite in fashion, make- up and even in cars. [26 minutes]

Graffiti sprayer turned artist Christian Awe, new material from Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, trends for 2010, an igloo village in Finland and finally, believe it or not, whisky from England.
Artist Christian Awe: Christian Awe started his artistic career as a graffiti spraypainter. He's now off the streets but still keeps up the spraypainting, working in his loft in the Lichtenberg district of Berlin. Awe has sold his works around the world. We met him in Berlin and visited an exhibition of his art at the Berliner Galerie.
Anne-Sophie Mutter Plays Brahms: The famous German violinist has a new DVD with interpretations of classics by Brahms. We talk to Mutter ahead of a world tour which kicks off in London in March.
Trends 2010: Experts say the trends awaiting us in 2010 will have to do with exclusivity and extravagance. But the rustic trend in fashion expressed in Karl Lagerfeld's latest Chanel collection will also continue. Green architecture will also be on the rise.
Igloo Village in Finland: We travel to Saariselka, Finland, to check out the igloo homes there. Despite the freezing temperatures, this village is very popular with tourists. Sleeping in glass igloos is a big hit as it may allow you to see the Northern Lights as you fall asleep.
English Whisky: Andrew Nelstrop and his family from Norfolk, England, used to have their whisky made in Scotland. They then decided to have it done all at home and opened up St. George's Distillery in 2005. After the first whisky had aged for three years it was launched on the market in 2008. The English Whisky Company is the only registered whisky distilling company in England. [26 minutes]

Personal Touch - The Klazz Brothers give their take on the works of Frederic Chopin This year is the 200th anniversary of the birth of the composer Frederic Chopin. There are many events taking place all around Europe to celebrate this bicentenary. One of the more intriguing ones is the latest project of the Klazz Brothers a German crossover trio who mix classical and jazz - hence Klazz. They have their own interpretations of Chopin on a new CD called "Chopin Lounge" and we met up with them to find out more.
Personal Insight - A closeup look on what made Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti tick. Alberto Giacometti was one of the the greatest sculptors of the twentieth century. His stick like figures of all sizes are perhaps his most memorable pieces and one was sold last month for 75 million euros, the highest price ever paid at auction for a work of art. A look back at the career of this extraordinary artist.
Personal Menu - French chef Yannick Alleno is a member of a very elite club. He has the highest accolade from the Michelin gourmet restaurant guide : that of three stars. And he's an absolute celebrity in his home country, appearing in the gossip columns there for various reasons. However unlike some top chefs he's very hands on in his restaurant kitchen that's in one of the best hotels in Paris. [26 minutes]

Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter: The top German violinist has received a Lifetime Achievement award from the Dortmund Cultural Foundation.. ?
The Austrian Film Ball: The return of the Austrian Film Ball following international success for Austrian film productions.
Julia Stoschek - Art Collector: Julia Stoschek from Dusseldorf has a collection of 400 works by leading contemporary video artists.
The Truth About Germany: This time around our roving reporter Michael Wigge asks how typically German he is. [26 minutes]

Art Basel, Swiss landscape architect Enzo Enea and his Tree Museum, Mountaineer Reinhold Messner, inside Germany's most exclusive clubs and the photographic art of Thomas Struth.
Art Basel: The world's biggest fair for contemporary and modern art opened in Switzerland earlier this week. Art Basel is in its 41st year now and for the last ten years the Berlin photographer Gabriele Heidecker has been taking photos there.
Swiss Landscape Architect Enzo Enea: Euromaxx visits Swiss landscape architect Enzo Enea and his Tree Museum on the shore of Lake Zurich, Switzerland.
Dossier - Mountaineer Reinhold Messner: Reinhold Messner is one of the world's most famous mountaineers. The Italian born German speaker was the first man to conquer all fourteen peaks higher than 8 thousand meters. But in this edition he tackles the questions in our euromaxx dossier.
Members Only: Euromaxx takes you inside three of Germany's most exclusive clubs. We start with the Mercedes 300 SL Club for vintage cars, move on to the China Club in Berlin and round off our trip by dropping in for a round of golf at the Wittelsbach Golf Club in Bavaria.
German Photographer Thomas Struth: We met up with Thomas Struth, one of the top five most successful German photo artists at a photo shoot for his next project and accompanied him through an exhibition in Cologne. [26 minutes]

Cinquecento Meet in Garlenda - Once a year the seaside town of Garlenda on Italy's Ligurian Coast plays host to the world's biggest gathering of fans of one of Europe's favorite cult autos, the Fiat 500.
Fashion Fever - Behind the scenes at the Berlin Fashion Week as the Allude label gets ready to present its latest collection.
Photographer Robert Lebeck - German photographer Robert Lebeck is not a stereotypical paparazzo. His impeccable manners have helped him get close to celebrities and many of his pictures snapped at just the right moment have become iconic. An exhibition in Bremen pays tribute to a career spanning six decades.
E15 Furniture Company - Red Dot Award Winner - German design company E15 based in Oberursel in Hessen creates award-winning furniture. Euromaxx takes a look at the innovative products that helped the company win a prestigious Red Dot Award for Product Design.
The Management Symphony - Professionals undergo a role reversal and experience taking directions from a different boss as they join with musicians in Leipzig for the annual Management Symphony culminating in a charity concert. [26 minutes]

Guitarist Ana Popovic: We meet up with guitarist Ana Popovic who is currently based in Amsterdam.
Euromaxx city - Constance: We visit the German city of Constance on the lake of the same name.
Wagner Festival: The annual Wagner festival in the Bavarian city of Bayreuth is an annual society event.
Photographer Alison Jackson: Alison Jackson is famous for her celebrity lookalike photographs.
The Amfora Project in Amsterdam: We take a look at a plan to build a city beneath the Dutch city of Amsterdam. [26 minutes]

Jaguar Sports Car 75th anniversary - Although the company is older, the Jaguar name was first given to a car in 1935. Seventy-five years on the luxury car company still has a loyal band of followers.
German Photographer Guido Mangold - Guido Mangold is a key figure in German post-war magazine photography. Mangold is renowned for his portraits of artists such as Joseph Beuys or Georg Baselitz and of powerful politicians like John F Kennedy, Konrad Adenauer and Willy Brandt.
Verjus - Culinary Comeback - Verjus, or verjuice, as it is sometimes called, was first used in sixteenth century Europe, but then largely forgotten after the arrival of the lemon. Now verjus is back as a culinary ingredient indigenous to the world's wine producing regions. We sampled verjus at a vineyard in Baden-Wurttemberg owned by three chefs who are keen to revive interest in the traditional ingredient.
City: Antibes, France - The Mediterranean city of Antibes boasts the world's largest yacht harbor and is a popular holiday choice for those who enjoy the beautiful things in life. Our roving reporter checked out the local highlights.
German Soprano Barbara Krieger - She says she doesn't like to live as if she had a second life in reserve. Barbara Krieger has made it to the top of her field while still pursuing unusual hobbies such as flying helicopters and finding time to raise a family. [26 minutes]

Wolfgang Joop Fashions in Paris - Wolfgang Joop is one of Germany's top fashion designers. Since selling his Joop! label, he's poured his energy into his new Wunderkind brand, and he's presented his spring/summer 2011 collection at the Paris Pret-à-porter fashion shows.
Rebecca Horn - Praemium Imperiale Prizewinner 2010 - We look back at the career of sculpture and installation artist Rebecca Horn from Germany.
Human Pyramids - Competitions to build the highest pyramid of people standing on top of one another are a popular tradition in Spain's Catalonia region, and every two years the town of Tarragona hosts the biggest contest of them all, the "Concurs de castells."
Berlin Speciality Currywurst - Sausage with curry ketchup is a fast-food favorite in Germany, and Berlin claims the specialty as its own - a status disputed by other cities. We examine the currywurst phenomenon in Berlin with the author of a new book.
The Thorn-Prikker House in Hagen - We visit the Thorn-Prikker House in the northwest German town of Hagen. It's one of several interesting homes that have been opened to the public in the Ruhr Valley's during the region's tenure as European Capital of Culture. The listed Thorn-Prikker House was finished in 1911 and is named after its first resident, a visiting Dutch artist. [26 minutes]

2010 marks the 150th anniversary of this great British institution. Today there are some 11,500 fish and chip shops around the UK that sell many millions of portions every year..
Piero Lissoni designs yachts, furniture, kitchen utensils and bathroom fixtures. He is also a successful architect and has released a book called Recent Architecture featuring some of his most impressive work.
Oquestrada is a band from Lisbon who give Fado a danceable and cheerful touch and have added a bit bit of hip hop, ska and other styles as well.
More and more top fashion designers are turning to the opera and theatre stages of Europe. The latest to do so is Belgian star designer Tim van Steenbergen - who's created the costumes for a new production of Wagner's Das Rheingold in Berlin.
Featuring the town of Ockenheim in the Rheinhessen region where the the newest type of grape has been released for cultivation in Germany. [26 minutes]

Photographer Mary McCartney - Mary McCartney, daughter of Paul and Linda McCartney, is, like her mother was, a dab hand with the camera. She started her career in her mid-20s and is meanwhile a highly successful portrait and high life photographer. In October 2010 she had shows at two locations in London and had just published her first book.
Designer Tree Hotel in Sweden - We visit a new design hotel some 60 kilometres south of the Arctic Circle in the peaceful surroundings of the village of Harads. The Tree Hotel offers uniquely themed rooms that are also individual designer tree houses. It's open all year round & invites you to relive your childhood memories with an added touch of sophistication.
Art Transport - Putting on a new exhibition often involves years of complicated preparation. Getting artworks to the show is also a delicate process. Euromaxx followed one sculpture on its voyage from Paris to a starring role in a show in Cologne.
Nacho Duato to head Mikhailovsky Ballet - Acclaimed Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato takes over as director of the Mikhailovsky Theatre ballet in St. Petersburg. Duato started his career as a dancer in Stockholm and became a choreographer in 1988. He spent the last twenty years as director of Spain's National Dance Company.
The Blue House - As part of the European Capital of Culture program, 58 houses have opened their doors to visitors in Germany's Ruhr Valley. We visit a house that brings a spot of colour to an overgrown colliery. [26 minutes]

Ice Sculpture Festival in Maastricht - Some 50 artists from all over the world prepare for the opening of the winter 2010 ice sculpture festival in the city of Maastricht in the Netherlands. The festival is dedicated to a famous hometown son from Maastricht: violinist Andre Rieu.
Typographer and Designer Erik Spiekermann - Legendary German typeface designer Erik Spiekermann teaches us to look at the urban environment in a new and fascinating way.
Advent Calendars, From Traditional To Deluxe - Advent calendars are a tradition which became popular in Germany about a century ago as a way of marking the countdown to Christmas. Many models feature a picture or a chocolate treat behind the door to be opened each day, but some designers have come up with more extravagant versions.
Top Chef Tim Raue - Berlin chef Tim Raue has cooked for some of the German capital's finest restaurants. Now he has opened his own establishment called Restaurant Tim Raue. It's located in Berlin's multicultural Kreuzberg district and has already been awarded a Michelin star.
City: Brescia - The northern Italian city of Brescia is often overshadowed by some of its more famous neighbours, but visitors who come and take a look around are rewarded with rich architectural diversity, top Italian design shops and regional culinary specialties. [26 minutes]

Chef of the Year 2011 - Austrian Mario Lohninger has been named chef of the year by the Gault Millau Germany gourmet guide. After learning from top chefs around the world, Lohninger now successfully manages three restaurants in Frankfurt. We met up with the Michelin-starred chef to find out what makes a visit to his eateries so memorable.
French Model Ines de la Fressange - Back in the 1970s she was the first model to sign an exclusive contract with a haute couture house. Later she launched her own fashion line. She now works as a consultant for French luxury label Roger Vivier and continues to grace magazine covers as a style icon. Now and then she even treads the catwalk.
Building the Future (4) GRAFT, Germany - Lars Kruckeberg, Thomas Willemeit, and Wolfram Putz founded their company in 1998 while studying in Los Angeles, but relocated to Berlin in 2001. Since then the creative trio have overseen projects in many different countries. The GRAFT team believes that the classic divisions of sleeping, living and working areas are passe and that creating space opens a whole new world of living options.
Rocker Skis - Rocker technology is impacting the ski slopes and creating a whole new way to relate to the mountain. Rocker skis may look like bananas on their backs but they are apparently just the thing for deep snow. euromaxx puts the new ski movement to the test in Verbier, Switzerland.
Idleness - The Joy of Leisure - Journalist Ulrich Schnabel makes a plea for daily breaks claiming that without them creativity and innovation is impossible. Schnabel says idleness is good and has written a guide to getting out of the rat race. [26 minutes]

An indoor miniature golf course in Hamburg offers a unique glow-in-the-dark golfing experience. It all begins with a trip in a submarine simulator with the course bathed in black or ultra violet light so that everything lights up in the dark.
Faux Marble - Buckingham Palace and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London are just two famous buildings that feature Scagliola, a marble imitation that was first developed in the Baroque era. Today it can be more expensive than real marble because it is so complicated to make.
German Chef Sebastian Zier - Sebastian Zier has received awards from the top gourmet guides, including Guide Michelin and Gault Millau. He took over as head chef at the La Mer restaurant on the island of Sylt in May 2010.
Wearable Street Art - More and more street artists are putting their creations on T-Shirts. It's seen as a way of preserving art which is traditionally very temporary in nature, and it also helps the artists earn a living. [26 minutes]

Hat Designer Stephen Jones - British designer Stephen Jones regularly supplies the world's top haute couture houses. He designed Carla Bruni-Sarkozy's pillbox hat, and Princess Diana also bought his creations. Jones first made his name selling to British entertainers.
The Semper Opera Ball in Dresden - One of the highlights of Germany's social calendar is the Semper Opera Ball in Dresden. It was first held back in 1925 but stopped at the outbreak of the second world war in 1939. The Ball was revived in 2006 after the restoration of the city's famous opera house. Nowadays the event is so popular that as well as the ball inside the opera house, there's also a big crowd waltzing away outside.
Internet Granny Mamika - Parisian photographer Sasha Goldberger has unintentionally turned his grandmother into an internet superhero. When he noticed his grandma - Hungarian-born Frederike Goldberger -was feeling down he portrayed her as a superhero zooming around on a motorbike or lifting a car with one hand to cheer her up. Mamika, as she's come to be known, is 92 years old and now has quite a following.
New LED Technology - LED lighting is one of the hottest topics at this year's International Furniture Show in Cologne. It's seen as energy-saving and favored for it's ability to simulate daylight.
Angry Birds App - The smartphone game "Angry Birds" has become incredibly popular with 50 million downloads in just one year. In the game you shoot birds at pigs using slingshots while the pigs try to protect themselves. The Finnish company "Rovio" developed it. Rovio was one of the first companies to develop and release video games for mobile phones. [26 minutes]

Healthier Fast Food - With more and more people paying closer attention to what they eat, a former fast food industry executive has started up a new restaurant in Frankfurt offering healthy menu choices, served fast and in appealing surroundings. If the concept proves successful, the owner plans to expand to other German cities.
Winter Sports Resort Trysil, Norway - We visit the Norwegian region of Trysil where the sport of skiing was apparently born. Trysil was home to the first ever skiing club and locals claim that the first skiing competition was held there in the mid-19th century. [26 minutes]

The Holmenkollen Ski Jump - The spectacular Holmenkollen ski jump in Oslo, Norway was finished just in time for this year's Nordic Ski Championships. Architect Julien de Smedt built on the site of the old ski jump used for the first World Ski Jump Championships back in 1892. The new jump is almost four meters taller than its predecessor.
Speed Painter Franck Bouroullec - Meet speed painter Franck Bouroullec who often creates his works in front of the public, producing a portrait in minutes. He likes doing things live and just to keep you wondering, he does his portraits upside down before turning the canvas right-side up. And he's just finished doing something quite different - an 860-square-meter homage to Charlie Chaplin.
Sculptor Tony Cragg - With a retrospective of Turner Prize winner Cragg's works on show in Duisburg in February, 2011, euromaxx looks at the career of one of Europe's most successful sculptors. Originally from Liverpool, Cragg is known for his use of unusual materials. He is dean of Dusseldorf's Kunstakademie (Academy of Arts). His retrospective at Duisburg's Museum Kupper includes 60 sculptures.
Photographer Menno Aden - Aden takes pictures of rooms that makes it look like he's shooting from the ceiling. The Berlin photographer uses a monopod and takes pictures of the same room from various angles and then re-works them on his computer. His projects include doctors' offices, elevators, and cars from above-ground rail systems. In 2009 he won the European Award of Architectural Photography.
German North Sea Island Sylt - We visit the picturesque German island of Sylt located in the North Sea - one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. It has 40 kilometers of beach and coastal sand dunes. The Wadden Sea (Wattenmeer) is a vast expanse of mud flats rich in wildlife. In June 2009 it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. [26 minutes]

The Black Trail Electric Bike - The BlackTrail built by a German company has been billed as the world's costliest electric bicycle with a price tag of just under 60,000 euros. Thanks to its design and lightweight frame it can reach a top speed of 100 kilometers per hour and go 20 kilometers on a full charge.
Mass Customization - Individual Design for the Masses - Whether shoes, chocolate or perfume - more and more companies are offering their customers the option of customized products. Customers are able to enter their own specific wishes online and then receive their unique product by post. We visit the Berlin-based customized chocolate service Chocri.
Jewelry designer Victoire de Castellane - Victoire de Castellane is a member of the French aristocracy and Dior's top jewelry designer. She is often credited with revolutionizing what can be a rather old-fashioned industry. She is currently showing jewelry creations under her own name in an exhibition at the Galerie Gagosian in Paris. The exhibition runs until 22 March 2011.
Recorder Player Dorothee Oberlinger - Dorothee Oberlinger has become an international classical music star with an instrument usually snubbed as a starting tool for children -- the recorder. Oberlinger shows us just how diverse the instrument is playing classical compositions from the 17th and 18th centuries as well as contemporary music.
Dutch Shoemakers Van Bommel - The Van Bommel family of the Netherlands have been making shoes since 1734 and is now branching out from classic hand-made leather footwear to trendier designs for younger, fashion-conscious buyers. One of the brothers currently running the family business, Floris Van Bommel, has launched his own line of sporty shoes with playful details. [26 minutes]

David Hockney's iPad Art - euromaxx visits Me Draw on iPad, an exhibition of British artist David Hockney's iPhone and iPad art taking place at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. near the Danish capital of Copenhagen.
50 Years of Milan's International Design Exhibition - The Salone Internazionale del Mobile is widely acknowledged as the world's leading furniture design fair, and this year its host city Milan is celebrating the event's 50th anniversary.
Cooking without Shopping - The KommtEssen Delivery Service - A novel delivery service in Hamburg is geared to people who want to cook tasty, healthy meals at home but don't have time for shopping. The KommtEssen service founded by Swedish-born Lisa Rentrop brings customers ingredients for five meals for four people, along with the corresponding recipes.
City Cycling Fashions - Bicycles have long been a popular form of transportation and lifestyle statement in many European cities, and now a growing number of fashion designers are catering to the needs of urban bicycle riders.
Photographer Corinne Vionnet - Swiss photographer Corinne Vionnet creates unusual views of familiar sights. In her series "Photo Opportunities," famous tourist landmarks look almost like impressionist paintings - but actually the pictures are the result of superimposing numerous images of the same motif. [26 minutes]

Art in XXL - Gerwald Rockenschaub - Rockenschaub is one of Austria's most renowned contemporary fine artists. We report from his exhibit in Wolfsburg where he installed a 66 meters long and 11 meters high wall covered with hundreds of symbols made of colored adhesive film.
Easter Goodies - European Specialties - Europe boasts a wide variety of Easter traditions. In Germany, the Easter bunny brings colorful eggs, Italians eat pannetone and colomba, a dove-shaped bread, the French indulge in chocolate fish and flying bells, and Easter wouldn't be Easter in Russia without kulich, a tall, cylindrical cake.
Kite Buggying in Denmark - When the wind blows, the beach on the Danish island of Romø is full of buggy riders, and those who, with Sarah Bluhm's help, are dreaming of becoming one. For two years the instructor from Hamburg has been running a kitebuggy school. Kite Buggying is centuries old, but remains an adrenaline pumping sport that offers an unforgettable experience when you race at up to 80 km/h across the sand.
Felder and Felder - Designers in a Twin Pack - We portray Daniela and Annette Felder, two award-winning fashion designers originally from Germany who launched their label while they were still studying in London a few years ago. The identical twins soon developed a following with their signature bold, yet sensual aesthetic that attracts modern-day self-confident women and as well as internationally famous stars.
Luzius Ziermann's Mirror Installation - In November 2010 Ziermann set up an installation that consisted of 2500 car wing mirrors to recreate his trademark sign depicting the sun and the moon and the rotation of the earth in the red desert sands of the Canary Islands. [26 minutes]

Royal Street Parties - Euromaxx experiences the Royal Wedding in Britain from the perspective of one of many street parties taking place up and down the land.
Soprano Mojca Erdmann - Although the 35-year-old singer has been enjoying a successful career in opera and in the concert hall she has only recently been "discovered" by the critics and propelled to the very top level. Now everyone wants to hear her sing.
Church Builder Justo Gallego - For fifty years Justo Gallego, a former Benedictine monk, has been building a church in Mejorada del Campo, twenty kilometers east of the Spanish capital Madrid. The huge building attracts large numbers of visitors to the town and is financed by donations.
Markus Lupertz Turns 70 - Markus Lupertz is one of Germany's most renowned artists of the second half of the 20th century. Euromaxx looks back on his often controversial career.
Urban Gardening - More and more people in large cities are becoming keen gardeners. They either have a garden or a roof terrace or perhaps just a balcony. But they all have one thing in common, a passion for plants and shrubs. [26 minutes]

Parachute Tester Toni Bender: Toni Bender from Bavaria is a test pilot for new parachutes for paragliding. His job is to push the parachutes to their limits to see how the equipment reacts. Not for the faint-hearted.
Photographer Andreas Gursky: We find out what goes into the pictures of one of the world's most famous photographers. This time it's the photo of a mine in Hamm in the Ruhr Valley of Germany. Filmmaker Jan Schmidt-Garre accompanied Gursky for 10 months to produce a documentary on him called "Long shot close-up".
St. Pancras Hotel in London Reopens: The St. Pancras Hotel -originally the Midland Grand, built in 1868 - reopened its doors after extensive renovation. The impressive gothic style building was due for demolition in the 60s, but following major protests it was saved. New owner Harry Handelsmann talks about how it was brought back to life.
Sunglasses by Jürgen Mayer H.: Jurgen Mayer H. first made his name as an architect but now he's focussing on making designer sunglasses. Mayer developed a line of sunglasses for the company "ic! Berlin". What sets these glasses apart is that they are asymmetrical since Mayer doesn't necessarily consider beauty to be symmetrical. Some of the names of his sunglasses include: boytoy and okidoki.
Estonian Conductor Anu Tali: Anu Tali is the co-founder of The Nordic Symphony Orchestra - a unique ensemble that is part Estonian and part Finnish established to bring the two neighbouring countries closer together. It was originally called the Estonian-Finnish Symphony Orchestra. Tali first got international recognition in 2003 when the orchestra's debut album earned her a Young Artist of the Year award. [26 minutes]

Mitch Winehouse - Amy's Dad Sings - Sometimes children follow in their parents footsteps when it comes to a career. But what about the other way round? Mitch Winehouse, the cab driving father of Amy, brought out an album of swing songs in 2010 and has just played his first ever concert in Germany.
125th Anniversary of the Automobile - Stuttgart celebrates 125 years of the automobile. The history of automobile development is being told through a special parade of 125 old, new and future cars from carmakers that have production facilities in the region: That's Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and Audi.
Beach Polo at Timmendorfer Beach - For the fifth time Timmendorfer Beach has been turned into an international hot-spot for polo lovers. Six national and international teams displayed their polo skills over the course of the three-day event. For the public it's a rare opportunity to experience the exclusive sport from close quarters.
German National Library - The new wing of the National Library in Leipzig has opened to rave reviews. Architect Gabriele Glockler's addition spans the equivalent of two soccer fields and cost 60 million euros.
Successful Brand - Nivea Centenary - The Nivea brand celebrates its centenary. The product was developed by German company Beiersdorf and the name is derived from the Latin for snow white. Initially sold in a yellow tin, the famous blue tin with white logo was launched in 1925. [26 minutes]

The Blue Rider Group in Bavaria One hundred years ago artists Wassily Kandinsky and Franz Marc published their almanac "Der Blauer Reiter" (Blue Rider). They created a lot of art around the Bavarian town of Murnau where the picturesque scenery between Munich and the Alps gave them so much inspiration.
Peter Zumthor's Serpentine Pavilion On July 1 the 2011 summer's installation at the Serpentine Gallery in London has its grand opening. For the last ten years, in the heart of Kensington Gardens, a different architect has had the honour of creating their own pavilion for a 3 month public viewing. This year it's the turn of Swiss architect Peter Zumthor so let's see what he's come up with.
Kate's Choice, The Reiss Fashion Label It seems that whatever Catherine Mountbatten-Windsor, Duchess of Cambridge wears sells out immediately. Benefiting immensely from this phenomenon is the British label Reiss that the royal formerly known as Kate Middleton loves to wear. euromaxx visited the company to find out what makes Reiss dresses so cool and attractive.
city: Warsaw, Poland On July 1, 2011 Poland will take over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Reason enough for us to visit the Polish capital. We went to the old city to see all sorts of cultural and touristic highlights, strolled through Lazienki Park and rounded off our tour by checking out Warsaw's lively night life in the Praga district.
Le Mans 24 Hour Skate 2011 There's a lot of action and adrenaline flowing as the skaters whizz round the famous Bugatti track, clocking up as many laps as their legs will allow them to in just 24 hours. We met up with Dirk May from Frankfurt who took part in the race.
Folding Bikes, Perfect Mobility in the City City life as we know if often requires mixed-mode commuting. A new generation of portable bikes are gaining broader popularity in urban spaces. The sophistication of folding mechanisms, new concepts and improved materials make these bikes increasingly appealing. We spoke to the leading manufacturer of folding bikes in Britain. [26 minutes]

Designer for Tomorrow Contest - Winning the chance to stage your own show at next year's Berlin Fashion Week is a huge opportunity for a young designer. Five young designers faced it off at the finals to choose the winner during this year's fashion week.
German designer Patrick Mohr - German designer Patrick Mohr is always good for a surprise or two. While most designers go all out to make their models look stunning that's not always his priority.
Fashion designer Guido Maria Kretschmer - Guido Maria Kretschmer is one of Germany's shining lights in the fashion industry. Words like glamorous, luxurious and elegant probably best describe his vision of how to clothe the feminine form. We met up with him in his Berlin showroom.
Fashion designer Kilian Kerner - Kilian Kerner's fashion shows get rave reviews and fashion magazines have chosen him as Germany's next big fashion export. We met up with him at Berlin Fashion Week.
Cinque - Fashion and Women's Football - The partnership between the German women's soccer team and the fashion label Cinque began in 2007. Cinque's World Cup Collection is called Cinque Favorita 2011. The colours are inspired by football - Black and white; black red and gold; beige for chino trousers, and a little bit of football pitch green.
Fashion label Schumacher - Dorothee Schumacher initially studied business but went on to complete apprenticeships in textile craft around Europe. She founded her label in 1989 in Mannheim, and her timeless, elegant and very feminine look proved immediately popular. [26 minutes]

The Duo 2Cellos Team up with Elton John - The Croatian cellist duo 2Cellos have recorded cover versions of famous rock and pop songs and achieved fame after posting one of their songs on the internet. Not only did they land a deal with a major record label, but they also got noticed by Elton John - who asked 2 Cellos to join him on his European tour.
German Rock Band The Scorpions on Tour - The Scorpions are one of Germany's most successful rock bands. On a break from their three-year farewell world tour, the group gave a concert in Berlin as part of the 2011 Classic Open Air festival. The Scorpions performed classic ballads accompanied by the Babelsberg Film Orchestra.
The Wonderful Attractions of Slovenia - Slovenia is a small country nestled between the northern Adriatic and the Alps and has prospered since it attained independence in 1991, even adopting the euro in 2007. While the country was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, its coast was a popular destination for the nobility and wealthy families. Slovenia also boasts castles, caves and the home of the original Lipizzaner horses.
Wall Tattoos to Brighten Up Your Home - Wall tattoos are thin vinyl patterns that you can put up on your walls as an alternative to pictures or tapestries. They're self-adhesive like stickers but can be easily removed without damaging the wall surface.
Reverse Graffiti that is Created with Water and a Stencil - Reverse graffiti is an increasingly popular form of advertising, but unlike conventional graffiti, it eventually disappears and isn't illegal. Instead of spray paint, reverse graffiti involves removing filth from building walls and achieving a color contrast. Oliver Bienkowski from Germany is one of the top artists in the field. [26 minutes]

Bregenz Festival - We look at the annual celebration of opera in Bregenz, Austria, where every two years a new, impressive set is built on Lake Constance. The Bregenz stage is the largest waterfront stage in the world, with seating for 6,400.
Coffe Bike - Coffe to Go - Two young Germans have set up a company selling cups of coffee on „coffee bikes". Tobias Zimmer and Jan Sander built a coffee-bar on a 3-wheeled bike using hybrid technology that works on gas and batteries. The water in each tank of a coffee bike is heated up with a gas heater and then pumped into the coffee machine by battery power.
Fifty Years of the Renault 4 - The Renault 4 first came out on Aug. 28, 1961 as a 5-door vehicle with a tailgate and modular cabin. The Renault 4 was built in 28 countries and sold in more than 100. Altogether, more than 8 million Renault 4s have been sold around the world, making it the most successful French car ever exported.
Artist Stefan Strumbel - Strumbel has gone from being an illegal graffiti sprayer to an internationally recognized artist. He first made his mark - literally - on public buildings, bridges, etc. -whatever was fair game for a graffiti artist. But then things changed. He won a scholarship in 2007. Now he has had his first official public exhibition.
Chelsea Physic Garden - The Chelsea Physic Garden is London's oldest botanical garden and the second oldest in Britain after Oxford Botanic Garden. It was established in 1673 as a instructional garden for apothecaries in training. The property has changed owners several times throughout its history and nowadays it's home to some five thousand plant species. [26 minutes]

Photographer Andreas Muhe - Andreas Muhe is a young portrait photographer who has managed to persuade some of the world's most powerful politicians and statesmen to pose for him. And although he's still only in his early thirties there's now a retrospective of his work currently on display in Rostock.
Mercedes Convention - It was 125 years ago in 1886 that German engineer Carl Benz was granted a patent for the world's first automobile. This milestone is being celebrated all this year and especially in the home of Mercedes-Benz in Baden Wurttemberg - but this past weekend the festive road led right to the capital and to the largest Mercedes-convention ever.
Mountaineer Nives Meroi - They say it's lonely at the top and that certainly true in the world elite of mountaineering, where women are a true rarity. Just days ago Austria's Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner became only the third woman ever to scale all 14 of the world's 8000-er peaks. Hot on her heels is 49 year-old Italian Nives Meroi who has eleven 8000-er ascents to her credit and is currently preparing for her twelfth.
Artist Levi van Veluw - To say that Levi van Veluw has many faces would be something of an understatement! The Dutch artist has caused quite a stir using mainly his own head and face as his canvas. His installation and video art is instantly recognisable but you do have to look very closely - because you sometimes can't see his face for the trees!
Augmented Reality Apps at the IFA Berlin - The IFA - the world's largest trade fair for consumer electronics is currently showcasing exciting developments in personal & home entertainment right here in Berlin. This year Augmented Reality Apps are in the spotlight - apps for smart phones and tablets that apply virtual layers of extra information to anything you see. They can, for example, instantly translate street signs or give the name and height of monuments or mountains. [26 minutes]

Artist Gerhard Richter at Work - Gerhard Richter is among Germany's most celebrated contemporary artists. Richter usually shuns the media spotlight, but he granted filmmaker Corinna Belz access to his studio and allowed her to film him at work. The resulting documentary provides a unique insight into the painter's creative process.
Trendy Sicilian-Style Flat Caps - Men's caps became popular in Sicily in the early 20th century and were made famous in films such as "The Godfather" starring Al Pacino. The headwear has been rediscovered by fashion designers who are incorporating the Sicilian-style flat caps - called a 'coppola' in Italian - into their collections. One manufacturer is La Coppola Storta based in Palermo.
Perry Rhodan Graphic Novels Anniversary - Perry Rhodan is the hero of the longest running sci-fi pulp series ever. Fifty years ago the first of Perry Rhodan's adventures hit the newstands - for 70 pfennigs you could read about astronaut Perry's adventures. Half a century on the hero is still defending the galaxy.
Furniture Made From Paper - Paper comes in various forms and many people try to recycle paper products when they are finished with them, but few people realize that paper can also be used to make furniture. Designers like Elise Fouin of France are increasingly taking advantage of innovations in the paper industry to create durable objects like armchairs or lamps.
Unusual Photography Tours in Berlin - The German capital Berlin is popular with tourists who take countless pictures of must-see landmarks such as the Brandenburg Gate, the city's TV Tower or Potsdamer Platz. But a couple of young entrepreneurs offer tours for photographers keen to capture some of Berlin's lesser-known backdrops. [26 minutes]

The Pope's Shoemaker - Adriano Stefanelli based in Novara in northern Italy is Pope Benedikt's official shoemaker. His small shoemaker workshop also made shoes for previous Popes.
Installation artist Tomás Saraceno - Tomas Saraceno is an installation artist who was born in Argentina in 1973. He has lived and worked in Germany for over ten years. His utopian works have been shown at solo and group exhibitions in Europe, North and South America and Asia.
Oide Wiesn - Traditional Fair at the Oktoberfest. - Established in 2010 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Munich's famous beer marathon a traditional fair with vintage fairground rides is back this year by popular demand.
German Vintner of the Year - Johannes Leitz from Rudesheim in the Rheingau region has been given the accolade German Vintner of the Year 2011 by Gault-Millau. Leitz's family has been in the wine business since 1744. Johannes Leitz took over the vineyard in 1985, further expanding it, and winning acclaim at home and abroad for his fine wines.
Women in Architecture - More and more women architects are making a name for themselves. We meet internationally renowned women architects Regine Leibinger and Barbara Holzer in Berlin and Zurich. [26 minutes]

Oktoberfest Fashions, Dirndls and Lederhosen - Bavaria's traditional costumes are much in evidence at this year's Oktoberfest in Munich. We mingled with the revelers to check out the variety of dirndls and lederhosen on show and met up with Munich photographer Andreas Neubauer whose latest book documents people and fashions at the famous beer festival.
DigiEnsemble, Making Music with Tablet PCs and Smartphones - The Berlin-based ensemble originated as an eight-member experimental study group and now uses music apps for public performances played on mobile devices. Euromaxx met up with the technologically avant-garde musicians.
Anthony Vaccarello at the Paris Fashion Week - The up and coming Belgian-born designer presents creates a buzz with his newest collection at the Paris Fashion Week.
Sumo Science's New Animation, Gulp - Aardman Animations production Gulp is a short stop-motion film which is claiming a world record for the largest stop-motion animation set. It was shot frame-by-frame on a beach in South Wales, using the camera on a smartphone.
DW-TV Documentary of Schumann Symphonies Project - Conductor Paavo Jarvi and the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen perform all four Robert Schumann symphonies in Pier 2, an old dock building in Bremen. DW-TV is producing a documentary of the event with rehearsal and concert footage. The film directed by Christian Berger conveys the conductor's deep passion for Schuman's music and aims to make classical music more accessible for young people. [26 minutes]

Iconic Traffic Signal Ampelmannchen at 50 - The iconic pedestrian traffic light signal known as the Ampelmannchen hails from East Berlin where it was created 50 years ago. Somewhat surprisingly after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 it became a symbol of the reunified City.
Tightrope Walker Freddy Nock - Freddy Nock from Switzerland is an extreme artist tightrope walker who set an amazing seven world records in 9 days tightrope walking in the Alps. This included one walk along a cable car line up Germany's highest mountain - the Zugspitze.
O'Clock Exhibition in Milan - From Michelangelo to Salvador Dalí right down to Pink Floyd - The passage of time has preoccupied artists of all disciplines pretty much since time itself began. A new exhibition at the Triennale Design Museum in Milan shows that as a subject it's still as topical as ever - this time in conjunction with design.
Sebastian Vettel Takes Second World Title - Despite winning his second Formula One world champion title Sebastian Vettel is keeping his feet on the ground, He took the title at the Japanese Grand Prix four races out from season end. Last year he became the youngest world champion ever in Formula One.
Kessler - Oldest Sparkling Wine Cellar - euromaxx travels to the Wurttemberg wine region in southern Germany to visit this country's oldest Sekt cellar which dates back to 1826. [26 minutes]

World's Largest Violin - Made in Vogtland - Craftsmen in eastern Germany's Vogtland region have a long tradition of making violins, and a group from the town of Markneukirchen have built the largest violin that can actually be played. The instrument is four meters high so playing it requires more than one musician. A local composer has even composed a special piece for the giant violin.
Fashion Designers Cimen Bahri and Derya Issever - In 2010 fashion designers Cimen Bahri and Derya Issever founded their own label "Issever Bahri" which meshes traditional Turkish crochet work with modern designs. Within months they picked up a top newcomers award at a Berlin fashion fair.
Zebrating Street Art - A teacher and carpenter from the southwest German city of Mannheim have come up with a distinctive form of street art which they call "Zebrating". Johanna and Bjorn affix zebra stripe-inspired artworks to fences and bridges which only become recognizable when viewed from the right angle.
Interior Designer Petra Blaisse - Interior designer Petra Blaisse of the Netherlands and her firm "Inside Outside" specialize in the layout of large exhibitions. Blaisse is particularly noted for her distinctive curtains. Since founding her business in 1991, her commissions have included a music hall in Portugal and the Dutch embassy in Berlin.
Norway's Jostedal Glacier - The Jostedalsbreen in west-central Norway is the largest glacier in continental Europe. Heidi Zimmermann who originally hails from Switzerland is the only registered female mountain guide in Norway and she offers tours of the glacier. [26 minutes]

New Tade Fair - The Qubique in Berlin - The Qubique is a new trade fair in the German capital that has been put together by the makers of the Bread and Butter fashion fair.
The Bolschoi Theatre in Moscow - We report on the grand reopening of this famous Moscow institution after a long period of renovation work.
The Alexander von Humboldt II Tall Ship - For the first time in many years Germany has a new tall ship - the Alexander von Humboldt II. The new ship was christened in Bremerhaven in September and is currently getting ready for its first big voyage to the Cape Verde Islands in the North Atlantic.
Elvis in Denmark - Super Elvis Presley fan Henrik Knudsen has had the entire Graceland mansion of the famous American singer re-constructed in Denmark. The 47-year-old has more than 6,000 Elvis items on display, including some of his blue suede shoes, letters and guitars. "Graceland Randers" cost about 3.5 million euros and is hoping to take in about 100,000 visitors annually.
British Street Artist Slinkachu in Ludwigsburg - We meet British street artist Slinkachu at his showing in Ludwigsburg, Germany. He's renowned for blowing up miniature figures in public places and then watching what passers-by do. Slinkachu uses model railroad figures for his street art. Slinkachu then photographs the reactions of onlookers. He says the purpose of his art is to make people more aware of their surroundings.
Composer Hans Zimmer in Belgium - Everyone knows at least one piece of music by Hans Zimmer! The Frankfurt-born composer lives and works in Hollywood and for nearly three decades he's penned the scores to more than 100 films. He was recently honoured at the World Soundtrack Awards in Belgium. [26 minutes]

Subway portrait painter Luc Grateau - He travels the Paris metro doing mini-portraits of passengers. He also visits the Louvre to do mini-copies of classical works of art.
Living the Victorian life - Brit Peter Saunders likes Victorian furnishing and lifestyle so much that he has largely outfitted his house to look like a Victorian home.
Street artist Mark Gmehling - The German started out as a graffiti artist, but since then has made a huge name for himself with his 3D artistry and sculptures.
Customizing luxury cars - The Carrozzeria Castagna company from Milan makes custom-made chassis largely from minis and Fiat 500s. [26 minutes]

Portuguese street artist Vhils p The Portuguese street artist Vhils has made a name for himself not with spray paint and graffiti, but instead by using a drill or even dynamite to create oversized portraits in stone walls. Vhils himself prefers to keep out of the spotlight so that the focus remains on his art.
Modern Scottish kilt designs - Scottish designer Howie Nicholsby has reinvented the traditional kilt. His label 21st Century Kilts combines fabrics such as jeans and leather with contemporary patterns.
Holidays on a vineyard - We explore a new kind of holiday that is finding growing popularity here in Germany. You stay on a vineyard as a paying guest, enjoy excellent wines and sometimes get to help out with the harvest.
WE MAKE CARPETS - WE MAKE CARPETS is a trio of Dutch artists who do just that, they make carpets. But while their creations can cover floors or decorate walls, the group doesn't weave traditional fabrics. Instead, they piece together everyday objects like pasta or paper clips. The resulting patterns resemble carpets.
Berlin club labels - Berlin is famous for its exciting night life, and some of the city's top clubs have founded their own music labels as an extra means of promoting their venues. The sampler albums serve as a sort of calling card for attracting future visitors. [26 minutes]

Berlin's New International Airport - We look at the corporate design for the new Berlin-Brandenburg Airport due to open on June 3, 2012.
An Art Nouveau Home in Brussels - Real estate agent Michel Gilbert is the owner of a town house by the famous art nouveau architect Viktor Horta. He commissioned Belgian architect Barbara Van der Wee to restore the house and now after extensive renovation work he now lives there.
TwinKomplex, a social game with real actors - A Berlin company has developed a new kind of computer game. TwinKomplex is a combination of an interactive web series and role play featuring real actors.
Fashion Designer Vladimir Karaleev - Christiane Arp is editor-in-chief of German Vogue magazine. She has chosen Bulgarian born Vladimir Karaleev as one of four talented young designers for the 2011 Vogue Salon.
Dala Horses from Sweden - Dala horses from Sweden are a national icon and a popular souvenir. The hand carved wooden figures are named after the place where they originated, the central province of Dalarna. The craft tradition dates back to the 17th century, when locals began whittling scrap wood as a way of passing the time during long Nordic winters. [26 minutes]

Gourmet Chef Thomas Buhner - Thomas Buhner from Osnabruck in Germany is the only chef in the country whose restaurant "la vie" was granted a third Michelin star -- the highest rating -- in the 2012 edition of the gourmet guide. Perhaps no big surprise considering he was already singled out in 2005 as "Chef of the Year" by the Gault Millau restaurant critics. We visit Buhner to watch him work his culinary magic.
The Ski Cross Sporting Trend - Ski cross is emerging as an ever more popular sport that is increasingly stealing the show from traditional downhill skiing. Ski cross duels sometimes involve aggressive tactics when four skiers simultaneously race down a challenging course at 100 km/h. We meet Julia Eichinger who is a big ski cross enthusiast.
Madame Tussauds' 250th Birthday - On occasion of the founder of the world renowned wax museums we visit the ones in London and in Berlin to find out why they're so popular. Marie Tussaud started working with wax when she was just six, and after the French Revolution she moved to London to apply her skill at building wax likenesses of people.
Furniture from Sports Equipment - A German designer from the southwestern city of Karlsruhe has a unique furniture concept: His firm "Zur schonen Linde" makes furniture from used gym equipment. We meet Andreas Grobel who can turn a pommel horse into an elegant bar.
Nuremberg Christmas Market - We visit this world-famous Christmas market that attracts millions of visitors each year. Its many stands offer traditional Christmas foods, and arts and crafts like Nativity scenes made by hand. The first written mention of the Christmas market in Nuremberg dates back to 1628 although it is believed that it existed well before that time. [26 minutes]

Light Calligrapher Julien Breton - The French artist Julien Breton, also known as Kaalam, started calligraphy in 2001 by copying Arabic masters. Self-taught, he then started using light calligraphy which becomes a spell-binding show with its combination of calligraphy and choreography. Breton's work is inspired by Arabic calligraphy, but since he doesn't speak Arabic himself, he invented a script based on the Latin alphabet for his characters.
"Angry Birds" - We went to Finland to see why the app for the smartphone game "Angry Birds" has become so popular. Every year it's downloaded tens of millions of times around the world. In "Angry Birds" you shoot birds at pigs. The Finnish company "Rovio" invented the game at a cost of about 100,000 euros and developers tell us about the company's venture.
The Private Homes of Berlin's Creative Scene - We get an inside look into the homes of some of Berlin's top gallery owners, artists and photographers. It all started on the blog "freundevonfreunden.de" -which means "friends of friends" - which has now become a book, too. The concept has been dubbed "sofa exhibitionism". We meet founder Frederik Frede and tag along on a photo shoot.
Three-Star Chef Claus-Peter Lumpp - Claus-Peter Lumpp has held three Michelin stars since 2007. At his restaurant Bareiss in the town of Baiersbronn, tucked away in Germany's Black Forest, he's been cooking up a storm for almost 20 years. He was born in the southwest German town of Tubingen in 1964 and learned the art of cooking from his grandmother. Lumpp later refined his skills at some of Europe's top restaurants.
Photographer Thomas Wrede - Thomas Wrede's photographs sometimes seem to be set in the desert, or in those barren mountainous landscapes that you see in old cowboy movies. But he does all his work here in Germany. Thomas Wrede is a master of close-up photography. [26 minutes]

Series: A Week of Fashion, Wrap Up - We look at how chief hairstylist Andre Martens kept on top of things at the Berlin Fashion Week while juggling a team of 40 people and preparing the models for the many shows.
Youth Olympics in Innsbruck - The Youth Olympics are new on the Olympic calendar since the summer of 2010 when they were inaugurated in Singapore. Now the winter edition is taking place for the first time in Innsbruck, Austria, a city with a long-time Olympic tradition. Taking part in these games for the host nation is Nina Prock, who's following a well worn family track.
Germany's Most Beautiful Family - The Roses have a tradition of doing exceptionally well in beauty contests, having won nine of them already. We profile this German family, including Gianna who entered her first contest in 2009, and her brother Almondy who is Mister Germany.
The Slovenian City of Maribor - We profile the Slovenian city which is a European Capital of Culture for 2012. We visit the Carmina Slovenica Choir, the city's Art Gallery, and one of the world's oldest vineyards.
Furniture Trends at the imm International Furniture Show in Cologne -The imm Cologne International Furniture Show allows about 1200 exhibitors from 54 countries to present their wares. German trend expert Katrin Neelsen guides us through some of the things we can expect to see in the near future. One of the biggest trends is a return to the roots: Having furniture made of natural wood.
Brigg Umbrellas - Swaine Adeney Brigg makes exclusive umbrellas and has been providing the British Royals with them since 1893. The company also makes props for films. We paid them a visit. [26 minutes]

London Fashion Week - We travel to the British capital to take a look at one of the world's top fashion events.
Taste of Spain - Jerez in south western Spain is situated midway between the sea and the mountains giving it a pleasantly mild climate. In the winter the temperature hardly ever goes lower than 10 degrees celsus and in summer averages around 25 degrees.
Dry Run - It may look like a normal day at a functioning airport, but Berlin's new international airport isn't opening till the summer. The crowds here are volunteers, playing the roles of passengers and airport staff in a practice run-through of the boarding process.
Panoramic Art - Her pictures are on display around the world, but she's not a celebrated artist. Ingrid Schultus-Foger paints panoramas. First she draws detailed maps that provide orientation for skiers and hikers at resorts and national parks. It's painstaking, elaborate work, done by hand.
Cool Cuts - At first glance, some of his works could be taken for photographs. But Stefan Thiel wields a scalpel to create his paper cut outs. From landscapes to images drawn from the world of fashion, his works are exhibited internationally, and cost up to 40-thousand euros. [26 minutes]

Investment Bankers Turn Tailors - James Sleater and Ian Meiers alias Cad & the Dandy create custom-made suits for their former colleagues at lower prices than London's traditional tailors.
Fishlabs Games - Fishlabs from Hamburg is one of the most important developers of computer games for smartphones world wide. They're the makers of "Galaxy on Fire 2" and "Snowboard Hero" which have won major awards both in Germany and internationally.
Ferrari Museum in Modena - A new Ferrari museum opens in Modena, Italy. The ultra-modern structure pays homage to the car's creator Enzo Ferrari with many of his personal items on display.
Art Experts - We meet up with two professionals who show us how they recognise a fake from the real thing.
The Istanbul Symphony Orchestra - The orchestra was founded by a local businessman. The orchestra is made up of 80 freelance musicians from all over Turkey. They come together for about 25 concerts a year. [26 minutes]

3D Printers: 3D printers were first introduced back in the 1990's but technological advances have been made since then and 3D printers are now becoming affordable for private use.
Anything but Ordinary - Oldtimer Hotel: We launch a new series on unusual hotels. The first episode takes us to a hotel near Stuttgart where the beds are built of antique car parts. The man behind the idea is hotel owner Simeon Schad and you can even get your own car serviced while staying at the hotel. [26 minutes]